JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The city of Jacksonville has hit a revitalization milestone.
Oxford Economics Global Cities Index has placed the “River City” in the top 100 ranking of global cities under 4 million people.
The study upped the River City’s ranking from 119th to 97th. It also placed Jacksonville in the top 5 cities to watch.
Why was the ranking raised? Oxford pointed to Jacksonville’s diverse economy, which is driven by finance, technology, and business.
The study says Jacksonville’s population is growing. 17,000 people recently moved here, and the city is forecasted to see 1% population growth per year through 2030. That’s nearly 4 times the US average!
When it comes to jobs, Oxford noted that 26% of Jacksonville’s GDP growth came from the tech sector. Jax is also listed among the Top 20 US metro for GDP per job.
The study also noted that despite nationwide economic negatives such as unemployment, Jacksonville has been able to surpass those factors in economic growth.
In a news conference announcing the ranking on Tuesday, Mayor Deegan said it’s just external validation and her administration aims to make the city better for all citizens.
However, members of the administration also said they want Jacksonville to hit the top 50 global ranking. To do so, Jacksonville Civic Council President & CEO Dennis Whittle says the city must make the following improvements:
“First, building a world-class countywide park system. We’ve got fantastic world-class parks downtown; now we need to make them available to every ZIP Code,” said Whittle.
“Second, ensuring every child has access to high-quality early childhood education,” Whittle added.
“Third is creating a strong workforce pathway for every single young person and old person,” said Whittle.
Mayor Deegan called for more public/private partnerships and bipartisan cooperation.
To put things in perspective, the study ranks global cities under 4 million people.
Only one US city has more than 4 million people, which is New York.
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