NBC: "Morgantown an economic oasis"

[CTMountaineer]

Originally Posted by Angel713

According to the Census, I fail to see how Morgantown is an "economic oasis": Morgantown, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA) Population and Components of Change

You're not reading it right then. There has been steady, measured growth accompanied by essentially full employment, not a series of boom and bust cycles. In addition, by using MSA figures (which include Preston County... has not fully shared in the growth) you are getting a distorted picture. It is the town itself and especially the immediate environs that have had amazing growth and prosperity.

And, although Morgantown's specific situation is very unusual, the basic disparity from one place to another within a region is not at all uncommon. In Cabell County, for example, Huntington has lost a major portion of its population while Barboursville is essentially more prosperous and has grown.

[GottaHerdOn]

ha ha ha

[CTMountaineer]

Originally Posted by GottaHerdOn

ha ha ha

You know its true. But I mention it only for the sake of an example.
That might change with the improvements taking place in downtown Huntington. Time will tell. If I were going to invest there, I'd put my money somewhere between Pullman Square and Ritter Park.

[CTMountaineer]

Charleston Daily Mail - West Virginia News and Sports - State News - The nation is starting to notice: There's something about Morgantown*

[vec101]

Not sure if this has already been posted but MoTown has made it to the Wall Street Journal.
Darn, all our secrets are getting out.

[SIZE=3]http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123783142333116161.html[/SIZE]

[CTMountaineer]

CNN is supposedly doing a feature on Morgantown tomorrow from noon to 12:15pm

"Morgantown, home to WVU, is scheduled to be featured on CNN Saturday, March 28, between noon and 12:15 p.m. EDT."

[CTMountaineer]

The MSA includes remote areas of Preston County and so forth, and some of those areas are actually losing population. Preston has lost some ground with mine and factory closings.

It would be much more accurate to look at Monongalia County trends. Morgantown's strength comes from the fact that it has a diverse workforce... Education, Government, Health Care, Power Generation, and Pharma Manufacturing. It is largely devoid of the kinds of industrial facilities that have been disappearing all across America... heavy industry. Thus, there really aren't job losses because the population does not work in industries that are losing jobs. There is actually an upside to employment prospects with added emphasis on research expected to add thousands to the workforce within the next few years. The University is expected to cap enrollment at 30,000 and gradually shift the percentage of students in the direction of graduate studies (fewer undergrads and more grads) to compliment the research endeavors.

Here's an article in the Wall Street Journal from a couple weeks ago:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123783142333116161.html