About SW Illinois and the St. Louis Area

The several counties that make up the southwestern Illinois are an important part of the St. Louis metropolitan area, and host more than 30% of the total population .... a percentage growing steadily as Illinois growth has bested the Missouri side for the last ten years. Madison and St. Clair Counties each have more than a quarter of a million people and are growing more rapidly than the St. Louis average.

Several communities, such as O'Fallon, Edwardsville/Glen Carbon and Columbia have experienced incredible growth. Others such as Troy, Collinsville, Highland, Fairview Heights and Waterloo aren't far behind.

The quality of life can't be beat in Southwestern Illinois.

A short drive down the road can take you to professional sporting events, world recognized cultural entertainment, or miles of relaxing country roads. Major department stores, extensive malls, antique shops, auctions and craft fairs meet any shopper's expectations. Thousands of restaurants are available, offering authentic ethnic dishes to country inn cooking can be found in Metro East.

It's closer than you think! It has small town livability! The commuting is civilized and predictable, with the sun at your back, both ways! Housing selections are extensive! Resaleability is excellent! There's more for your money! And all those things are true! The working population of metro-East is roughly divided into thirds. One third commute to employment west of the river, one third are employed by Illinois based industry and businesses (including Southern Illinois University, various colleges and the very important Scott Air Force Base), and one third are employed in local services and businesses. Several big name companies are based in Illinois, including Shell Oil, Standard Oil, The Olin Corporation and National Steel, as well as more than a hundred smaller companies, taking advantage of the location central to the U.S., good transportation, the moderate climate and the excellent labor market.

A network of excellent interstates and state highways serve the residents and
commuters. Major highways radiate from St. Louis through metro-East to Chicago, (IS 55), Indianapolis, (IS 70) and Louisville (IS 64). New IS 255 serves as a north-south connector, from the Jefferson Barracks Bridge on the south, to the just completed (and dramatically designed) Lewis and Clark Bridges at Alton.

Development naturally follows these interstate corridors. Illinois residents have just approved an extension of Metro-Link from its present termination at SW Illinois College to Scott Air Force Base. When completed, it would allow a 40 minute commute between the two major airports in Missouri and Illinois.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE for short), is a major state institution, with 13,000 undergraduate students and a payroll of $ 52.3 million to 4,219 employees, about equally divided between academic and nonacademic personnel. In Metro-East, SIUE's direct economic impact is estimated to be $ 130 million annually. Additionally SIUE offers continuing education, adult education, a variety of community service programs, community research, and a broad range of cultural activities, both for recreation and participation!

SIU was designated as the site for the track and field events portion of the 1994 Olympic Festival, a St. Louis coup. The facility features a state-of-the-art track surrounding a world class soccer field...this $ 5 million project that seats 10,000.

McKendree College in Lebanon and Junior colleges in Belleville and Alton, with several
service centers each, add dimension.

Scott Air Force Base is an extremely important facility to southwestern Illinois, with over 7,000 military personnel in attendance as well as over 5,000 civilian personnel. The families make up a population of 22,000. The base also serves nearly 14,000 military retirees and their families. The base, generated more than a billion dollars in 1992, much of which enters the local economy. Scott is the home of three major command headquarters; The Air Mobility Command, the Transportation Command and the Communications Command. (The host unit is the 375th Airlift Wing.) The well trained and educated military presence adds social and cultural values as well as economic impetus to many nearby communities.

Scott AFB is now a "joint use" facility, used by both military and civilian aircraft. The Illinois Air National Guards 126th Air Refueling Wing relocated from O'Hare International Airport to Scott AFB.

The Melvin Price Support Center in Granite City is a quartermaster base of import, and serves to process all Army and Coast Guard personnel coming into the St. Louis area.

Working In St. Louis

Ranked sixth best city in the U.S. to live and work by Fortune Magazine, St. Louis offers great career opportunities and an attractive lifestyle.

St. Louis (meaning the entire 12 country region, covering 6,397 square miles --- larger in area than the state of Connecticut, is the 17th largest metropolitan area in the country, offering all the opportunities of a major league town. There are 1.2 million jobs and in any one year, one in seven of these may become open.

The St. Louis Region At A Glance:

Area 6,397 square miles

Population 2,551,300

Households 963,600

Average Household Income $42,524

Labor Force 1,334,300

Business Establishments 63,705

Unemployment Rate 4.7%

Economic Base

St. Louis has a diversified economy, so our fortunes do not depend on one company or industry. Relying less on traditional manufacturing, St. Louis now has a name as a center of high technology, services, health care, distribution and office facilities.

Job Outlook

Diversification means there is a need for practically all kinds of skills. Some 150,000 people work in high tech occupations involving science, computers and engineering; 570,000 managers, professionals, salespersons and clerical workers sit behind desks; 280,000 work blue color jobs in manufacturing, transportation, distribution and construction; and 200,000 work in service as waiters, janitors, hairdressers, repairmen, etc.

How St. Louis Ranks with Other Metro Areas

Population 17th largest

Industrial Production 12th largest

Corporate Headquarters 6th largest

Airports (flights) 6th most accessible

Quality of Life in top 10% of all metro areas

Cost of Living below nearly all large U.S. metro areas

Housing Costs third most affordable major market

Corporate Headquarters

If you want to go to the top, this is the place to do it. St. Louis has a remarkable concentration
of corporate headquarters - more than you would expect, even for the 17th largest metro area. St. Louis ranks seventh with ten headquarters of the nation's top (Fortune) 500 corporations. More than thirty St. Louis-based companies are ranked in Fortune, Forbes Magazine or Business Week. There are headquarters of subsidiaries and divisions to choose from too. At least eight of these employ over 1,000 workers in St. Louis alone.

St. Louis is not just for big companies. There are 62,000 small businesses which may be
interested in your resume, or perhaps you will be interested in starting a business yourself.

Economic Growth

This is not a boom and bust town. Growth in St. Louis takes place at a moderate rate, and the local economy follows along with the nations. Over the past decade, St. Louis employment grew by 1.4% a year - slightly below the national trend of 1.7% a year - but incomes grew faster locally than nationally. The annual unemployment rate was never more than 0.8% above the U.S. rate. The largest regional economic development campaign in the U.S. is under way to generate 100,000 new jobs by the year 2002.

Nationally Ranked St. Louis Companies

Cost of Living

Most people transferring to St, Louis will find their paychecks go further. With a cost-of-living 2% below the U.S. and below nearly all large metro areas, this counts the same as getting a salary increase. Another bonus is that state and local taxes are 10% lower in St. Louis than the U.S. average.

The RCGA

The RCGA (St. Louis Regional Commerce & Growth Association) and its 4,000 members
work for the economic development of the St. Louis region. The RCGA promotes St. Louis' image, brings business into the region, supports improvements in transportation and works for a favorable business climate. Its award-winning Commerce Magazine and newsletter, RCGAction keep members informed on business topics.

The RCGA's Business Council Services offers seminars, networking events, leads groups and
roundtable discussions to businesses. The RCGA also offers a variety of insurance programs to members.

The RCGA provides helpful information to new residents and a wide range of facts on
businesses and trends. Call the RCGA'S Information Department and ask for the new resident "Guide" or the "Publication List for business.

Participation in the RCGA's programs is welcomed. To learn how to become more involved,
call the RCGA at 314-231-5555 and ask for membership information, a list of committees and the newsletter.

Information for this page provided by the St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth
Association, 100 South 4th Street, St. Louis, MO 63102, 314-231-5555.

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