Lafayette named No. 1 overall city in America

The Advertiser, June 4, 2014

Area Development has ranked Lafayette number one for their “Leading Locations” list in the Best Midsize City, Best City in the South, and Best Overall City categories. (Photo: File Photo, The Advertiser )

The accolades for The Hub City keep coming in.

Area Development, a publication covering site selection and facility planning, has ranked Lafayette number one for their "Leading Locations" list in the Best Midsize City, Best City in the South, and Best Overall City categories.

Lafayette ranked first in current job growth and second in five-year wage growth. The city also experienced the largest increase in employment in the nation from December 2011 to December 2012 with an 8.6 percent gain.

"The growth in Lafayette’s economy over the past several years can be greatly attributed to steady growth in the energy and healthcare industries, which account for 40 percent of the area’s GDP," says Lafayette Economic Development Authority president and CEO Gregg Gothreaux. "These industries remain relatively recession-proof and will continue to contribute to Lafayette’s steady economic growth, while providing an impetus for our growing finance and entertainment industries."

380 MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Area) were graded over 21 different economic and workforce indicators to determine Area Development’s "Leading Locations" list.