Downtown Employment Ranking

[Just the facts]

This was on the MetroJacksonville page today so I thought I would pass it along. It ranks the top 101 downtowns by employment population.

America's Downtowns Ranked by Number of Employees | Metro Jacksonville

OKC comes in at #55.

[Pete]

Here is that list:

1. Midtown Manhattan - 1,441,281
2. Downtown Chicago - 609,902
3. Downtown Manhattan - 527,118
4. Downtown DC - 468,907
5. Downtown LA - 372,337
6. Downtown San Francisco - 299,659
7. Downtown Seattle - 294,369
8. Center City Philadelphia - 288,227
9. Downtown Minneapolis - 232,458
10. Downtown Austin - 214,865
11. Downtown Houston - 200,383
12. Downtown Miami - 188,003
13. Downtown Denver - 180,863
14. Downtown Portland - 180,173
15. Downtown Dallas - 167,514
16. Downtown Pittsburgh - 153,224
17. Downtown Sacramento - 151,828
18. Downtown Baltimore - 149,432
19. Downtown Atlanta - 142,759
20. Downtown Indianapolis - 136,417
21. Downtown Milwaukee - 136,277
22. Downtown Honolulu - 129,357
23. Downtown Cleveland - 124,086
24. Downtown Raleigh - 122,005
25. Downtown Columbus - 121,455
26. Downtown Hartford - 120,797
27. Downtown Oakland - 113,550
28. Downtown Phoenix - 107,859
29. Downtown Orlando - 104,290
30. Downtown San Diego - 100,905
31. Downtown St. Louis - 97,167
32. Downtown San Antonio - 96,643
33. Downtown Louisville - 95,581
34. Downtown Cincinnati - 90,271
35. Downtown Charlotte - 89,588
36. Downtown Salt Lake City - 88,812
37. Downtown Tampa - 87,134
38. Downtown Nashville - 86,615
39. Downtown St. Paul, MN - 85,753
40. Downtown Columbia, SC - 85,142
41. Downtown New Orleans - 84,566
42. Downtown Des Moines - 81,339
43. Downtown Richmond - 80,313
44. Downtown Fort Worth - 80,068
45. Downtown Detroit - 78,144
46. Downtown Providence - 77,885
47. Downtown Buffalo - 72,902
48. Downtown San Jose - 70,762
49. Downtown Kansas City - 69,482
50. Downtown Rochester - 68,449
51. Downtown Norfolk - 67,774
52. Downtown Grand Rapids - 67,277
53. Downtown Lexington, KY - 65,206
54. Downtown Las Vegas - 62,054
55. Downtown Oklahoma City - 58,833
56. Downtown Fort Lauderdale - 58,216
57. Downtown Little Rock - 56,524
58. Downtown Jacksonville - 56,302
59. Downtown Albany - 55,936
60. Downtown Tulsa - 55,728
61. Downtown Wichita - 55,571
62. Downtown Tallahassee - 54,658
63. Downtown Birmingham - 54,450
64. Downtown Spokane, WA - 53,621
65. Downtown Boise - 53,368
66. Downtown Omaha - 51,579
67. Downtown Greensboro - 49,045
68. Downtown Tucson - 47,678
69. Downtown Akron - Cleveland - 47,394
70. Downtown Tacoma - Seattle - 46,994
71. Downtown Rochester, MN - 46,704
72. Downtown Memphis - 46,587
73. Downtown Albuquerque - 43,560
74. Downtown Jackson, MS - 41,952
75. Downtown Colorado Springs - 41,715
76. Downtown Chattanooga - 41,397
77. Downtown Syracuse - 39,656
78. Downtown Bakersfield - 39,243
79. Downtown El Paso - 36,623
80. Downtown Shreveport - 36,183
81. Downtown Lubbock, TX - 35,121
82. Downtown Baton Rouge - 34,916
83. Downtown Lincoln, NE - 34,840
84. Downtown Sioux Falls, SD - 34,248
85. Downtown Huntsville - 33,787
86. Downtown Amarillo, TX - 33,019
87. Downtown Stockton, CA - 32,771
88. Downtown Madison - Madison - 32,170
89. Downtown Montgomery, AL - 32,110
90. Downtown Knoxville, TN - 32,038
91. Downtown Corpus Cristi - 31,640
92. Downtown Toledo - 31,474
93. Downtown Savannah, GA - 30,949
94. Downtown Augusta, GA - 30,780
95. Downtown Greenville, SC - 29,976
96. Downtown Charleston - 29,351
97. Downtown Anchorage - 28,987
98. Downtown Fort Wayne, IN - 28,585
99. Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA - 27,557
100. Downtown Winston Salem - 27,556
101. Downtown Mobile - 23,234

[OKCisOK4me]

Memphis, no bueno. I like how Austin is surrounded by a ton of cities with pro franchises.

[shawnw]

I've been to a lot of those cities, and suspect that several of them benefit from their state capitols being downtown. I'm not saying it's a huge boost, but I think if our capitol was within our downtown borders we'd probably jump a spot or three...

[BG918]

I wonder if UT is included in Austin's number? That seems really high for a relatively small downtown area compared to Houston, Denver and Dallas.

[Pete]

I believe they used a 1-mile radius from some central point in each city.

[OklahomaNick]

It's crazy how close Tulsa is to OKC in the rankings. Only about 3,000 employees.

[HangryHippo]

I wonder if UT is included in Austin's number? That seems really high for a relatively small downtown area compared to Houston, Denver and Dallas.

It would have to be.

[Just the facts]

I believe they used a 1-mile radius from some central point in each city.

My understading is that they looked at contiguous office space and then went a mile around that.

[bchris02]

This list is very telling. It's crazy that OKC is only a couple of spots higher than Little Rock despite being twice the metro population. It's also crazy that Memphis is so low and Louisville is so high, both being cities that are close peers of OKC. I think its a good contributor of why Louisville's downtown is so vibrant and Memphis' is so drab outside of its tourist areas. A vibrant, self-sustaining downtown economy depends not only on the number of people living downtown but also the number of employees working there.

I think OKC's numbers should soar once Stage Center Tower gets built and once OPUBCO moves downtown. How does this number compare today vs OKC 5 or 10 years ago?

[Just the facts]

Memphis, no bueno. I like how Austin is surrounded by a ton of cities with pro franchises.

Not sure what happened to Memphis on this list. According to this link Memphis has 73,300 downtown employees and 22,000 residents.

Downtown Rising - Memphis Daily News

[bchris02]

Not sure what happened to Memphis on this list. According to this link Memphis has 73,300 downtown employees and 22,000 residents.

Downtown Rising - Memphis Daily News

I am pretty familiar with Memphis and outside of Beale St and the tourist spots, their downtown is pretty disappointing. They are slightly ahead of OKC when it comes to living options but there is no way more people work in downtown Memphis than downtown OKC. Downtown OKC is quite a bit prettier.

[Just the facts]

I am pretty familiar with Memphis and outside of Beale St and the tourist spots, their downtown is pretty disappointing. They are slightly ahead of OKC when it comes to living options but there is no way more people work in downtown Memphis than downtown OKC. Downtown OKC is quite a bit prettier.

Mud Island development which is considered part of downtown Memphis has a population of 8,500. 3,500 of them are college graduates. It is a new urbanism community.

Memphis Mud Island Demographics - Neighborhood Demographics

[bchris02]

Mud Island development which is considered part of downtown Memphis has a population of 8,500. 3,500 of them are college graduates. It is a new urbanism community.

Memphis Mud Island Demographics - Neighborhood Demographics

I personally like Mud Island. The homes are very charming and I love the small lot sizes. There are a few neighborhoods in OKC that are similar (nowhere near downtown or as massive though) and if I was to buy a home in the suburbs that's probably the kind of place I would want.

As I've said, Memphis is ahead of OKC when it comes to downtown housing and of course Beale Street is miles beyond anything OKC (or anywhere else) could replicate due to its cultural heritage and uniqueness, but outside of that Memphis' downtown is ugly and disappointing. It's also unsafe. I usually would hang out in Midtown whenever I went to Memphis as its supposedly safer. Another fact of life in Memphis is after dark, the sound of gunshots are a normal part of the ambient noise coming from the neighborhoods.

[Bellaboo]

I've been to a lot of those cities, and suspect that several of them benefit from their state capitols being downtown. I'm not saying it's a huge boost, but I think if our capitol was within our downtown borders we'd probably jump a spot or three...

I work at the capitol complex and common knowledge over there is that a good 10,000 work in the immediate area. That would take us up to #50 if it was included.

[BG918]

It's crazy how close Tulsa is to OKC in the rankings. Only about 3,000 employees.

Tulsa doesn't have the extent of suburban office space that OKC does outside of downtown along NWX, Memorial, 44 (including Midfirst/Chesapeake) and 235. There are a several towers along 44 and in south Tulsa, and some larger "campus" like developments on the east side/BA but the majority of office space is downtown.

[shawnw]

I work at the capitol complex and common knowledge over there is that a good 10,000 work in the immediate area. That would take us up to #50 if it was included.

Good to know, thanks.

[adaniel]

Don't forget the nearly 12,000 employees at the Health Center Complex (that includes OUHSC, VA Hospital, Research Park, Dean Mcgee Institute, etc).

[Just the facts]

I shutter to think how much different downtown OKC would be today if the Capitol and HSC were both downtown.

[shawnw]

Don't forget the nearly 12,000 employees at the Health Center Complex (that includes OUHSC, VA Hospital, Research Park, Dean Mcgee Institute, etc).

Good point

[Bellaboo]

I shutter to think how much different downtown OKC would be today if the Capitol and HSC were both downtown.

It's kind of starting to grow together.....maybe someday, when the streetcar connects, it'll get there.

[HangryHippo]

I shutter to think how much different downtown OKC would be today if the Capitol and HSC were both downtown.

While that would have certainly been awesome, they're really not that far apart as it is. They'll get there.

[bchris02]

It's kind of starting to grow together.....maybe someday, when the streetcar connects, it'll get there.

I-235 is kind of like a Berlin Wall that will always keep downtown and the HSC/Capitol Complex separate. Maybe ODOT will do something radical and bury I-235 underground like the big dig in Boston. That would open up land to develop to ultimately tie downtown with the development east of I-235.

[HangryHippo]

I-235 is kind of like a Berlin Wall that will always keep downtown and the HSC/Capitol Complex separate. Maybe ODOT will do something radical and bury I-235 underground like the big dig in Boston. That would open up land to develop to ultimately tie downtown with the development east of I-235.

You're dreaming wildly now.

[Just the facts]

I've seen pictures of this part of OKC before I-235 was built. It seems to me that if you want to rebuild this area the best way to do it is remove what killed it - but that is just me.

I know, I know - how would people get from Edmond to Norman......