Younger people are considering cost of living, where to get their first job and start a family.
“Today we’re finding increasing number are either choosing to stay where they’ve gone to school, and that’s where the universities play a large role, and this is a large part of what’s been happening in Grand Rapids.”
Ross DeVol is CEO and chairman of Heartland Forward, a think-and-do tank with an emphasis on middle-America. It authored a report studying talent migration trends. Of all large U.S. metros in the growth of college graduates, Grand Rapids ranks nationally behind only Austin and Indianapolis.
“But it’s a combination of also the amenities, the entertainment, the arts, the culture, the offerings of different locations. And are leaders trying to foster a more inclusive quality of life, quality of place environment that will attract this talent?”
For Grand Rapids, attracting a highly educated and creative workforce elevating the West Michigan economy.