Cities: Most Diver-To-Least Diverse US Economies (state, compared, place, metropolitan)

[DANNYY]

I'm going to make a list of cities and I want to see what others think as the most diverse cities in terms of economy. Please ONLY keep it to the cities I list, and do not add in anything extra!

Here are the cities (MSA's):
- Philadelphia
- Boston
- Washington DC
- San Francisco
- Miami
- Atlanta
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- New York City
- Seattle
- Denver
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul

I'm leaving out Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Detroit, Charlotte, & everything else you don't see in the above list. Mainly because of controversial reasons or mudslinging that will result with the following being added into the list and mainly because they would either result very high or very low on every ones list. And I just want to keep it a civil and balanced thread so Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Detroit, Charlotte can sit this one out.

Please arrange them from what you believe to be the MOST diverse economy to the LEAST diverse economy. And also please state your reason as to why, I am just curious to see what others think in regards to this.
_________________________________________________
I'll go first.

Here is what I think:
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul
- Atlanta
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- Boston
- Denver
- New York City
- Seattle
- Washington DC
- Miami

I think Philadelphia has the most diverse economy out of the following and that Miami may have the least diverse economy of the following.

What do you guys think? Also you can state sources and get links and whatever to prove your claim, I'm all ears to any argument really.

[kidphilly]

Interesting link

Chicago most diverse major U.S. economy. (Commercial). | Banking & Finance > Banking, Lending & Credit Services from AllBusiness.com (http://www.allbusiness.com/personal-finance/real-estate-mortgage-loans/589324-1.html - broken link)

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by DANNYY

Here is what I think:
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul
- Atlanta
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- Boston
- Denver
- New York City
- Seattle
- Washington DC
- Miami

I'd agree with this list for the most part, but I think that DC probably should go below Miami.

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by kidphilly

Interesting link

Chicago most diverse major U.S. economy. (Commercial). | Banking & Finance > Banking, Lending & Credit Services from AllBusiness.com (http://www.allbusiness.com/personal-finance/real-estate-mortgage-loans/589324-1.html - broken link)

Wow, I knew Finance made up 18% of New York City's economy or so but I had no idea that it would rank so low (69th).

Yeah, I have seen the results of this article elsewhere before in other sources too. It's highly understood that Philadelphia, Chicago, & Atlanta have diverse economies.

I just never knew Miami would come in 22nd. And I never knew Washington DC would come in 90th. I am curious to have seen where Dallas-Fort Worth would have ranked, I was expecting to see it in the Top 10. Overall though, great link!

[kidphilly]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

I'd agree with this list for the most part, but I think that DC probably should go below Miami.

DC is a real wild card, while their industries are somewhat diverse, not as much compared to some othe metros, nearly 70% of jobs are either Gov't employees or directly servicing the Fed Gov't; from that perspective DC could easily be the least diverse economy in the country. Serously i need to chart DC growth against growth of Gov't. Gov't spend has got to be reduced and DC will take the biggest hit just as the recieved the greatest benefit from this growth.

I am just amazed that there is hardly any discussion on this, everyone just says look how wonderful DC is growing, well yes on all our backs and seriously a reduction in Gov't would rock through DC like the overall economic situation has hit just about everyplace other than DC. In some ways this is like the credit crunch, or .com bubble - people are burying their head in sand to think DCs successes are NOT directly related to the growth of Gov't - Yes HQs move, why because they need to be close to their biggest client.

Seriously I see smart people on here just bury their head on the DC perspective (not meant toward Waronxas he was just lucky or unlucky to get quoted).

Now i only wish health and prosperity to all areas but people in DC during these economic downtourns have become more and more loud and fail to see the huge the pink elephant in the corner, seriously...

[Akhenaton06]

I don't think anyone here is unaware of DC's situation and how its relative stability is tied to the government. Exactly who has their head in the sand here?

[kidphilly]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

I don't think anyone here is unaware of DC's situation and how its relative stability is tied to the government. Exactly who has their head in the sand here?

I have seen many posts, most from DC folks

DC has definatley benefited from the centralization of Gov't and areas like defense over the past 15-20 years. I am back on forth on the benefits of too much centralization but CA definatley took a hit (Companies like Titan etc.)on this front and other areas as well during the centralization of some of these gov't functions. I can think of two from my metro that were basically shut down and moved to DC, the biggest being the Naval Air Defense Center, which prior to being shut was one of the true pioneering defense technology development centers in the country (tomahawk missile guidance system and sonar tracking systems to name a few).

That being said there are synergies to consilidation and concentration but too much can also bad, even from an overall national security perspective.

[DANNYY]

Most To Least Diverse (100% Scale):
- Chicago: 95.0%
- Baltimore: 94.8%
- Salt Lake City: 94.6%
- Buffalo: 94.5%
- Nashville: 94.1%
- Columbus: 94.1%
- Atlanta: 94.0%
- Portland: 93.6%
- Oakland: 93.6%
- Philadelphia: 93.5%
- Miami: 92.4%
- Los Angeles: 84.7%
- New York City: 80.6%
- Houston: 74.4%
- Washington DC: 62.2%
- Las Vegas: 58.9%
- Seattle: 58.8%
- Jersey City: 56.9%
- Honolulu: 56.1%
- San Jose: 44.2%

Wow, I had a feeling Seattle would be near the bottom but astonishingly San Jose & Seattle are very vulnerable cities economically and as is Washington DC, wow just wow. And with Las Vegas we're already seeing the side effects.

EDIT: It's interesting to note that Baltimore is on the polar opposite side of the spectrum than compared to Washington DC. And Oakland is on the opposite spectrum than compared to San Jose. Arguably the more affluent cities economically at the present moment are less diverse than their counterparts in their respective Metropolitan Areas.

[Ghost of Blasphamany]

For NE standards the rate DC is growing is very alarming; if they propose freezing government activity and that cant be good sign for DC

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by DANNYY

Most To Least Diverse (100% Scale):
- Chicago: 95.0%
- Baltimore: 94.8%
- Salt Lake City: 94.6%
- Buffalo: 94.5%
- Nashville: 94.1%
- Columbus: 94.1%
- Atlanta: 94.0%
- Portland: 93.6%
- Oakland: 93.6%
- Philadelphia: 93.5%
- Miami: 92.4%
- Los Angeles: 84.7%
- New York City: 80.6%
- Houston: 74.4%
- Washington DC: 62.2%
- Las Vegas: 58.9%
- Seattle: 58.8%
- Jersey City: 56.9%
- Honolulu: 56.1%
- San Jose: 44.2%

This has to be by city. There is no way this is metro area data.