January 23, 2008

In the past some readers have criticized me for what they’ve said is blind, unfounded praise of the Phoenix area.  When I talk about how the Phoenix area is great – or about how and why the housing market will rebound, or why it may not be as glum as some suggest in the first place – I inevitably hear back that I’m just another one of those real estate agents trying to make a buck touting my city.

So, okay, let’s be honest.  I want to put food on my table just like the rest of you.  And I do it by helping people buy and sell homes.  But I’m no used car salesman.  I call it like I see it, and I always back up my claims with facts from reputable sources.  I mean, the list below comes from sources like Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., and Business 2.0.

So consider yourself warned, if you don’t like hearing about how great Phoenix is, check out now.

A flyer from the Greater Phoenix Economic Council touts all of the accolades Greater Phoenix has amassed in recent years, including:

Best Cities for Jobs, Forbes, November 2007

Greater Phoenix ranked 3rd on Forbes’ “Best U.S. Cities for Jobs” list.

#1 in Job Growth, Bizjournals, September 2007

I’ve written before about Greater Phoenix’s strong job market.  A Bizjournals study showing Phoenix as the #1 in job growth among large metro areas nationwide confirmed that I wasn’t making things up.

Best for Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur, September 2006

For two years in a row Greater Phoenix was named the #1 on Entrepreneur’s “Hot Cities” ranking of the nation’s best places to start and grow a business.

#1 Destination for Relocations, Business 2.0, November 2005

Business 2.0 named Greater Phoenix the top destination city for Americans moving from other states.  With one of the best business climates in the county, plus more days of sunshine than most places, plus all of those great golf courses – among other things – what’s not to love?

Top 10 Megapolitans, CNN Money, January 2006

CNN Money ranked the Phoenix/Tucson area one of the country’s top 10 “megapolitans” – putting us right up there with Boston/New York/Washington, Miami/Tampa, and San Francisco/Sacramento – among others.

America’s Hottest Job Market, Business 2.0, May 2007

It seems like Business 2.0 loves Phoenix, too.  Last year the magazine named us one of America’s hottest job markets – with the best jobs in one of the hottest markets.

#2 Large City for Doing Business, Inc., May 2007

Phoenix ranked the second best large city for doing business, right behind Las Vegas, according to Inc. magazine.

If there were any doubt before, let’s dispel it here: I love Phoenix.  So do the top business magazines that consistently rank us among the Top 10 from best cities for jobs to best places to relocate.  Yeah, we’re the bomb.