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News to me... I’ve never heard of any part of VA referred to as a “tech center” ... especially with Raleigh and Austin grabbing all of those headlines in the south...
DC is in the title but the article is largely about Northern Virginia's tech scene. Anyway, I'd say Virginia but there's cracks starting to show. As of now, VA is still the wealthiest and most educated southern state and I think it'll stay that way, as long as DC continues to prosper. A lot of our success is contingent upon DC's.
The problem with VA is you can't have one part of the state carrying the whole state, it just creates a dynamic that is problematic and it won't be able to sustain itself. That's not to say that Hampton Roads and especially Richmond aren't doing well right now but when you look at the numbers, Northern Virginia still is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. And to add to the mess, you add the fact that the GOP in VA has punished NOVA for years because of how liberal it's become by purposefully not giving us the funding we need for specific projects, infrastructure, school funding, etc.
I won't even begin to talk about what's going on in the western part of the state and the lack of jobs, wealth, and just the overall deteriorating of that area. So to answer the question, I'd say Virginia but there's a lot of small issues that over the years have cumulatively become larger and larger, if the state doesn't continue to work at fixing those issues (including diversifying the economy), things could easily go downhill.
I think all of the southern states having a promising future given the pro business climate and milder winters being attractive to companies and people.
The Roanoke area of Virginia has numerous good companies. It is more prosperous now than the past, and it will keep getting more prosperous.
I don't think the GOP in Virginia has 'punished' VA. Republican voter simply have a different view of proper amount of spending and taxes. There are thousands of students who go to school in Virginia and then get to good colleges and occupations. It doesn't make any sense to say the schools are underfunded given so many success stories.
DC is in the title but the article is largely about Northern Virginia's tech scene. Anyway, I'd say Virginia but there's cracks starting to show. As of now, VA is still the wealthiest and most educated southern state and I think it'll stay that way, as long as DC continues to prosper. A lot of our success is contingent upon DC's.
The problem with VA is you can't have one part of the state carrying the whole state, it just creates a dynamic that is problematic and it won't be able to sustain itself. That's not to say that Hampton Roads and especially Richmond aren't doing well right now but when you look at the numbers, Northern Virginia still is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. And to add to the mess, you add the fact that the GOP in VA has punished NOVA for years because of how liberal it's become by purposefully not giving us the funding we need for specific projects, infrastructure, school funding, etc.
I won't even begin to talk about what's going on in the western part of the state and the lack of jobs, wealth, and just the overall deteriorating of that area. So to answer the question, I'd say Virginia but there's a lot of small issues that over the years have cumulatively become larger and larger, if the state doesn't continue to work at fixing those issues (including diversifying the economy), things could easily go downhill.
I just don’t understand how y’all are saying Virginia is 100 percent healthy and thriving when the numbers from economists belie your posts. Again, NOVA is doing the heavy lifting ... that’s not a good look. What are y’all reading because a quick google search yields reports that have been published over the past several years that talk about the concerns of Virginia’s economy ... are y’all delusional or am I missing something ?
Atlanta drives the GA economy. New York City drives the NY economy. Minneapolis drives the MN economy. Boston drives....you get the idea. The economic engine of VA is the urban crescent (95 to 64). Northern Virginia is the biggest contributor but it is also the biggest population center so I’m not sure what you’re going on about. Without NOVA, Virginia would be ranked around where NC and GA are.
Richmond is booming (with white collar jobs) and is a top destination for millennials. Hampton Roads is out of the doldrums brought about by sequestration and the port of Virginia has been expanded and continues to be one of the largest ports in this hemisphere. Northern Virginia is poised to land Amazon and possibly Apple and is already home to more tech companies than any other location except for San Jose. The nearly 200 mike stretch from Roanoke to Winchester is performing very well (Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Blacksburg). The population is much healthier than in other southern states (less strain on the economy), and Medicare has been expanded. 400,000 more Virginians will have medical coverage. The billions of new dollars that other southern states have left on the table will create tens of thousands of healthcare jobs.
FL, TX, NC, VA and GA all have the highest bond ratings (and have had them consistently over the last 10 years). The foreseeable future of the South is looking good.
The population is much healthier than in other southern states (less strain on the economy), and Medicare has been expanded. 400,000 more Virginians will have medical coverage. The billions of new dollars that other southern states have left on the table will create tens of thousands of healthcare jobs.
VAs population has been steadily decreasing over the past 5 years. UVA just published a report on that late last year .
I don't get all the whining about Virginia. I enjoyed my time there, could return in the future, and I think the state, along with the rest of the Atlantic South, is in good shape going forward. People are complaining that NOVA is the driving force but...have you heard of Atlanta? Wipe Atlanta off the map and Georgia drops below Alabama and SC in population, GDP, urbanization, etc. Nashville is also driving TN more than before, and Charlotte and Raleigh take most of NC's attention. VA is fine. You can't complain about NOVA and not complain about others.
The state may not be posting blazing hot population growth numbers, but there's more to it than just numbers. Being the fastest growing doesn't make you the best. Yet 18th out of 50 and 6th in the south isn't bad. Also, if you do look at growth rate, neither NC or GA would be in the top 10 either, yet there's no denying they're two magnet states right now. VA is not a MS or WV, it's healthy.
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