Dover-New Philadelphia recognized for making Top 100 Micropolitan Areas list
DOVER ‒ Dover-New Philadelphia has been named one of the Top 100 Micropolitan Areas in the nation for 2022 by Site Selection Magazine.
A micropolitan site is defined as an area with a population under 50,000 that has shown substantial economic development. Other criteria include location to major transportation, quality of life and amenities.
Previous ranking: Tuscarawas County climbs list of Site Selection honorees
Site Selection Magazine, known for its comprehensive economic development analysis, evaluated various factors to determine the most promising micropolitan areas across the United States.
According to the magazine, Ohio dominated the micropolitan ranking once again. Twenty-two Ohio micros combined to amass 115 qualifying projects, more than twice as many as Indiana, whose micropolitans registered 50 qualifying project announcements. Findlay, Ohio, topped the list.
The offices of Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted prepared proclamations recognizing the achievement, which were presented recently at a business roundtable discussion with community leaders at First Federal Community Bank in Dover. The proclamations were delivered by Scott Ryan of the Ohio Department of Development.
Local reaction to the news
“I’m grateful to Site Selection Magazine for their recognition of the cities of Dover and New Philadelphia as a top 100 micropolitan community," Dover Mayor Shane Gunnoe said.
"This honor speaks to the effect of positive job growth, economic development and quality of life improvements both communities are seeing. The residents of both cities should be proud of this accomplishment. The City of Dover will continue working with our community partners to encourage our city’s progressive growth in the future."
New Philadelphia Mayor Joel Day said it is a huge achievement for both communities.
"It is the result of the pro-business environment and leadership that continues to drive growth and sustainability not only in our area, but throughout Tuscarawas County. Now our challenge is to unseat Findley at the top of the list," he said.
Added Marla Akridge, executive director of the Tuscarawas Economic Development Corp., "It helps us in marketing Tuscarawas County and it helps us to stand out from our competition in some levels, not just for recruiting outside businesses but for helping our existing businesses. They can say this is a good place to live, work and play."
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Dover-New Philadelphia making Top 100 Micropolitan Areas list
