2026 Annual Metro Rankings: Business Finds Success In Established And Emerging Markets
RED BANK, NJ — June 30, 2026 — Business Facilities, a leading source of news and trends for site selection decision-makers, has revealed top metros in a select number of categories as part of its 2026 Annual Rankings Report. In their entirety, these rankings provide a broad view of the corporate relocation and expansion landscape across more than 60 categories.
Comprised of State, Metro, and Global rankings, the full 22nd Annual Rankings Report will appear in the July/August 2026 issue of Business Facilities.
“Business Facilities Metro Rankings highlight established hubs and emerging hotspots for companies across a range of industries. The towns, cities, and metros named in the 2026 rankings represent a cross section of the opportunities that companies are seeking for their next relocation or expansion decision,” said Business Facilities Editorial Director Anne Cosgrove.
AI Growth Leaders & Tech Talent Leaders: The Evolving Future
The Business Facilities AI Growth Leaders ranking considers factors including talent availability and employment, corporate presence, and resources for AI innovations. The Top 5 ranked metro areas are: San Francisco/San Jose, CA; Washington, DC & Arlington/Alexandria, VA; Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington, TX; Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, WA; and New York/Newark/Jersey City, NY-NJ. The AI Growth Leaders list is rounded out with: Austin/Round Rock/Georgetown, TX; Chicago/Naperville, Elgin, IL; Phoenix-Mesa, AZ; Atlanta/Sandy Springs/Roswell, GA; and Pittsburgh, PA.
The Business Facilities Tech Talent Leaders ranking showcases the availability of a tech-centric workforce in cities and metro areas across the U.S and Canada. In this category, size and growth of the talent pool are primary factors for the 3-tier ranking, divided by size of labor pool (less than 50,000; 50,000-100,000; and 100,000+).
The top 10 Tech Talent Leaders with a tech labor pool of less than 50,000 are: Kansas City MSA; St. Louis, MO; Sacramento, CA; Nashville, TN; San Antonio, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Pittsburgh, PA; Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; and Virginia Beach, VA. Rounding out this ranking are: Milwaukee, WI; Hartford, CT; Jacksonville, FL; Richmond, VA; and Madison, WI.
The Business Facilities Canada Tech Talent Leaders ranking features these five standout metros: Toronto, ON; Waterloo Region, ON; Vancouver, BC; Ottawa, ON; Calgary, AB, followed by Montreal, QC; Edmonton, AB; Québec City, QC; London, ON; and Halifax, NS.
Emerging Life Sciences Markets: Moving Forward
The Business Facilities Life Sciences rankings include both Life Sciences Hubs and Emerging Life Sciences Markets. This year, Austin, TX; Phoenix, AZ; Nashville, TN; Indianapolis, IN; and Pittsburgh, PA lead the Emerging Life Sciences Markets category. Rounding out this ranking are Atlanta, GA; Salt Lake City, UT; Madison, WI; Columbus, OH; and St. Louis, MO.
Industrial Parks: Makers’ Space
This year’s Business Facilities Industrial Parks ranking focused on intermodal and utility capabilities, manufacturing activity, and available land/space. Additionally, there is consideration of the economic impact of the industrial park, based on the area in which it operates.
Ranked #1 in the Industrial Parks category is Camp Hall Industrial Commerce Park located in Berkeley County, South Carolina. The Top 5 also include: Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (Reno-Sparks, NV); Elk Grove Business Park (Elk Grove Village, IL); MidAmerica Industrial Park (Pryor, OK); and TexAmericas Center (Bowie County, TX).
Rounding out the Top 10 — TGS Cedar Port Industrial Park (Baytown, TX); Savannah River International Trade Park (Savannah, GA); CenterPoint Intermodal Center (Joliet-Elwood, IL); Quonset Business Park (North Kingston, RI); and AllianceTexas (Fort Worth, TX).
Business Facilities is a leading full-service media brand specializing in the site selection marketplace. Through a bi-monthly magazine, e-mail newsletters, a news portal, and its LiveXchange event, Business Facilities has created a dynamic community for C-level executives and economic development organizations.
