Report: Madera, Hanford among ‘Best-Performing Cities’ in U.S.

Published on 12/15/2015 - 9:29 am

Written by Business Journal Staff

Madera and Hanford have been singled out as among the country’s ‘Best-Performing Cities’ in 2015 by the Milken Institute, a nonpartisan economic think tank based in Santa Monica.

Madera ranked 32nd and Hanford 147th among all U.S. cities according to the think tank’s latest report.

Milken’s best-performing cities index was designed to measure objectively which U.S. metropolitan areas are promoting economic vitality based on job creation and retention, the quality of new jobs and other criteria.

The index shows where employment is stable and expanding, wages and salaries are increasing and economies and businesses are thriving.

Madera moved up 37 spots from its 69th place ranking in 2014.

The Milken report also noted that Madera ranked 9th in wage growth from (2012-2013) and 16th in job growth from (2013-2014).

Only five other California small cities were ranked among the top U.S. cities in the report: Napa (16th), Chico (21st), Yuba City (26th), El Centro (39th) and Redding (71st).

The ranking is another indication that Madera is doing well balancing jobs and economic growth, said Bobby Kahn, executive director of the Madera County Economic Development Commission.

Kahn noted that earlier this year New Geography published a report that ranked Madera as the country’s best place for manufacturing jobs while Forbes ranked Madera as the top region in America for farming and agribusiness.

“With the addition of new industries coming into Madera County over the past few years coupled with the growth and expansion of several local companies, there has been hundreds of new jobs created,” said Kahn, adding that “for nearly two years, Madera County has maintained a 1 percent or less vacancy rate for industrial space.”

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