In an annual “Investing in America” ranking compiled by the Financial Times and Nikkei, Fort Worth has surged as one of the top cities in the United States for foreign business investment. The state of Texas, and North Texas in particular, solidified several of the top spots in the 91-city rankings. Houston ranked No. 1 with Plano (3), Irving (4), Dallas (5), and Austin (7) all joining Fort Worth in the Top 12. Arlington also came in at No. 17, putting two different Tarrant County cities in the Top 20.
What qualities helped Fort Worth earn one of the top scores in the country as a place to do international business? Here is the breakdown of how Fort Worth scored in each category included in the criteria, as well as a definition for the criteria and each criterion’s weight in the total score.
Workforce and talent (20%) – 61/100
“This category looks at the quality of the local workforce and ease of hiring. It considers working-age population, education levels, unemployment rate, proximity to universities, and hiring laws.”
Openness (10%) – 68/100
“This category looks at how welcoming US cities are to overseas talent, including racial diversity and size of foreign-born population.”
Business environment (18%) – 68/100
“This category looks at the cost and ease of doing business, including taxes, incentives, and operational costs. It also considers climate risk and state and local business retention and expansion policies.”
Foreign business needs (18%) – 71/100
“This category looks at how well cities are suited to accommodate foreign business. It considers the number of international flights, proximity to shipping ports, internet connectivity, and local government support for foreign investors.”
Quality of life (15%) – 43/100
“This category looks at the safety and affordability of US cities. It also considers commute time, walkability, school quality, and options for leisure.”
Investment trends (15%) – 71/100
“This category looks at how much cities secured in foreign and direct investment in 2022, as well as their annual gross domestic product per capita.”
Aftercare (4%) – 100/100
“This category looks at the degree of administrative support cities offer to foreign companies once they make an investment decision.”
A full explanation of the methodology can be found here.
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