Effingham One of the Top Development Communities in Midwest

The findings were released by Site Selection magazine. The Walton Family Foundation released new research on February 20 that ranks every micropolitan statistical area across the United States. The Foundation uses what Site Selection magazine termed a data-driven index to measure economic performance.

Ross DeVol, the lead researcher, said, "The research concludes that small-town America has big-time potential for economic growth."

Effingham ranked #29 in the survey. Worth noting, only seven Midwestern communities finished in the Top 50 most Dynamic Micropolitan Areas. Effingham was second-ranked among those Midwestern communities, behind only Findlay, Ohio.

The research found that small towns with strong economic performance share traits, such as travel, tourism and recreation as key industries; prevalence of professional services; a culture of entrepreneurship; and research universities and four-year colleges.

DeVol cited Effingham as a town that gets economic development right. He said, "Most have community colleges that engage with local employers. They focus not just on recruiting large companies; they attract smaller firms from other locations, and they pay attention to business retention and expansion. Those things get overlooked in most small towns. They don't in the most successful ones."

DeVol also said there's a need to be more than just a destination. "It's what you do with your attributes. It's about quality of life and place. All the top small towns have positive net in-migration. People want to move there."