South Jordan has been ranked as the second-best city in the nation for career opportunities. (Photo courtesy South Jordan City)
A nationwide study of 300 U.S. cities with populations under 250,000 indicates South Jordan is the second-best community for big career opportunities.
Coworking Cafe, a nationwide real estate technology provider, used 19 indicators of economic performance, job-market strength and livability to rank cities.
The top-ranked city in the survey was Alpharetta, Georgia. Third was Mountain View, California. No other Utah cities were among the top-ranked communities.
Mayor Dawn Ramsey said she was pleased with the rankings, saying second is “an impressive number. Part of that stems from efforts to bring large employers into the city, and we’ve been working hard to strengthen our employer base and to be a business-friendly community.”
She said the city has worked over the past eight years to streamline processes for businesses and eliminate the red tape.
“This is a very desirable place to live,” she said. “We have low taxes, and a highly educated community with well-qualified and well-trained residents. And we’ve worked hard to keep some of our larger employers, like Merit Medical and Ultradent.”
Key takeaways from the Coworking Cafe study regarding South Jordan included these:
Strong wage momentum. The city ranks second nationwide for wage growth, with worker earnings rising 72 percent since 2019.
“Last year we had 383 new businesses open in our city, many of them home-based businesses,” Ramsey said. “Our salaries and our micro economy here is strong.”
Exceptional housing affordability. South Jordan residents spend only 23 percent of their wages on a one-bedroom rental, the third-lowest rent burden in the survey.
“I think that will surprise a lot of people,” the mayor said, “because as we continue to see the cost of homes and rent go up, there’s been a deliberate effort here and with other entities to build more for-rent properties, and to bring down the cost of rent. To have a well-rounded, fully functioning community, you do need a mix of housing types. I see that here, and I’m not surprised at the study’s findings.”
High economic output: The Coworking Cafe survey said South Jordan benefits from strong regional performance, with an MSA-level gross domestic product per capita of $113,000, eighth-highest in the nation.
“As you look at the regional amenities we’ve worked to bring here, like strengthening our transit system and welcoming the new Bees ballpark and sports and entertainment district, we’re making sure there are balanced amenities across the entire city,” she said. “We’ll soon break ground on the South Valley Performing Arts Center that’s been eight years in the making, and the urban center being developed in Downtown Daybreak — these all add to the regional growth we’re spearheading in South Jordan, adding to the city’s economics.”
A tight labor market: The study says South Jordan maintains a low unemployment rate of 2.6 percent, 12th among all small cities in the country and lower than both the state and national rate.
“It goes back to having a combination of jobs available closer to home, which marries very well with our qualified workforce,” Ramsey said. “You have to be able to get to your employer easily, be close to home, and be qualified. Those things come together to create a community of high-salary earners and a high quality of life.”
She said none of these accomplishments have been by coincidence.
“It’s been very deliberate on our part as a city,” she said. “We have a really great team, very great council and city staff, and we really listen to our residents. There are high expectations for those who live here because they receive a high level of service. All of those things have created a culture that has led to successful outcomes.”
She also encourages residents to shop local stores in the city, with sales tax revenue crucial to the funding of community services.