We Are An Institute For
Economic Renewal
heartland forward is a nonpartisan, nonprofit “think and do tank” focused on improving economic performance in the center of the united states.
How do we define the heartland?
Heartland bythe Numbers
Click the dots to see what we’ve said about America’s small towns (micros) and cities (metros).
Metropolitan
Micropolitan
Champaign-Urbana, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area
303rd out of 379
Most Dynamic Metros Index
Z-Score
-0.49
-2.5
-
-1.5
-1.5
-
-0.5
-0.5
-
0
0
-
0.5
0.5
-
1.5
1.5
-
2.5
2.5
-
3
Closest Z-Score Rankings
Rome, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area
Mobile, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area
Dayton, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area
303rd
Most Dynamic Metros Index
234th
Young Firm Employment Ratio
162nd
Per-Capita Personal Income
285th
Medium-Term GDP Growth
304th
Short-Term GDP Growth
240th
Medium-Term Average Annual Pay Growth
363rd
Short-Term Average Annual Pay Growth
230th
Medium-Term Job Growth
225th
Short-Term Job Growth
282nd
Short-Term Job Momentum
191st
Population
HEARTLAND SUMMIT
MEET US IN THE MIDDLE. Heartland Summit, our flagship event, brings together leading thinkers, innovators and investors - showcasing the exciting innovation happening between the coasts, sparking frank conversations about the challenges the region is facing and the opportunity to build networks to sustain economic growth and power problem solving across the country.