"Why should you give Akron another look? Our geography, our history, our quality of life, and our being named one of Newsweek magazine's top 10 high-tech cities in America, all position Akron as a place where we speak the language of business."
Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic, City of Akron
Greater Akron's economic and business climate is ideal for growing businesses. It is the home of more than 21,000 businesses, including more than 150 Fortune 500 companies.
With a population of close to 650,000 in the metropolitan area, Akron is one of the largest cities in Ohio. The city lies within 500 miles of 42 major cities, including more than half of all manufacturing plants and nearly 60 percent of the U.S. population — and its buying power.
Akron has been ranked among the best cities for conducting business:
- This year, Site Selection magazine ranked the Akron metro area No.2 in the nation for business locations and expansion.
- Newsweek magazine named Akron one of nine "high-tech havens," noting that these cities "have become important players in the information age…and have built their new economies with hard work and innovation."
- Akron is wireless and also home of the newly established Knight Foundation's Knight Center for Digital Excellence.
- Akron's transportation system boasts three airports, including the Akron-Canton Airport, one of the country's fastest growing.
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AKRON'S QUALITY OF LIFE
Akron has the offerings of a large metropolitan area without the usual headaches. With its small-town feel and big-city amenities, Akron truly encompasses the best of both worlds. In 2008, for the third time in its history, Akron was named an "All-America City" by the National Civic League, an award considered "The Oscars" of municipal life.
Our many eclectic neighborhoods — from funky Highland Square, hip downtown and diverse University Park area — provide diverse residential choices in a city where money simply goes further. The cost of living in Akron is consistently below the national average, according to the American Chambers of Commerce.
Our downtown has been revitalized and is brimming with dance clubs, bars and restaurants. (Our minor league baseball stadium is there too.) Our park system is filled with bike and hike trails, par courses, lakes and quarries, cross-country ski areas and much more. If you want to do it, you can do it here. Imagine leaving work in downtown at 5 p.m. and running less than 15 minutes later in a national park with streams, charming bridges and plenty of green space.
Akron was a center for punk rock and alternative music in the 1970s. Today, bands such as the much-lauded, bluesy Black Keys (just check out reviews in Rolling Stone and Time for starters) are putting Akron on the music map yet again. On the other end of the spectrum, Greater Akron is also the summer home of the internationally acclaimed Cleveland Orchestra.
Akron is also, quite simply, one of the best places in the country to raise a family. We'll put its mix of superb schools, safe neighborhoods, first-rate medical facilities and family-friendly events up against those of any other region. We must be doing it right: a larger percentage of Greater Akron students score higher on standardized tests, including the SAT, than in the nation as a whole.