By Pete Smith
Cities that want to maintain a youthful and vibrant population need to be leaders in job creation. So it bodes well that a consumer advocacy site has named Carmel the best place for job seekers in Indiana.
The top ranking follows another NerdWallet study in November that determined that Carmel was the No. 1 town in Indiana for young families to live in.
For the jobs study, NerdWallet factored:
● Unemployment rates
● Population growth
● Household income
● Monthly homeowner costs
The study also noted Carmel’s history of maintaining a growing working-age population, with a growth rate of 17 percent, a high median household income of $109,928 and the second-lowest unemployment rate in the state at 5 percent.
“This ranking, along with many other good rankings and recognition, helps us build a brand,” Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard said in a statement. “Successful cities now, and especially as time goes on, have to compete for good, well-paying jobs by having a sufficiently good quality of life to attract the best and brightest employees. If we can continue do that, then employers will be willing to locate here.”
The presence of nearby companies such as CNO Financial Group, Delta Faucet and ITT Technical Institute, and the amenities of Ivy Tech Community College, pushed Carmel over the top.
“(Carmel) has been lauded in the past for its quality of life, and I think a lot of that stems from employment and growth there,” said NerdWallet Strategy Analyst Sreekar Jasthi.
NerdWallet doesn’t have results on how Carmel ranks nationally.
Fellow Hamilton County cities Fishers and Noblesville rounded out the list’s Top 3.
“Central Indiana has experienced strong growth,” Jasthi said, “and it’s poised to continue.”
Said Brainard in a statement, “As City Center, the Arts and Design District and the midtown redevelopment are completed, as well as the U.S. 31 construction being finished and our bike and trail and park system expanding, Carmel will only become more competitive for good-paying jobs that we want.”
http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/2014/best-places-indiana-job-seekers/