Cities in 4 Northeast Indiana Counties Listed as Top Micropolitans in Site Selection Magazine

Investment. New jobs. New construction. That’s what experts measure as they rank the country’s top micropolitans. In 2020, cities in four Northeast Indiana counties made Site Selection Magazine’s annual list. Click here to read Site Selection Magazine’s list (starting on page 108) or click here for an image of the list.

Decatur in Adams County, Huntington in Huntington County, Warsaw in Kosciusko County and Angola in Steuben County were named by Site Selection Magazine in its list of the top micropolitans in the country.

Micropolitan statistical areas, or “micros,” are odd animals, wrote Site Selection Magazine reporter Gary Daughters.

“A micropolitan is a core-based statistical area, in this case a county, whose name derives from it core city of 10,000 to 50,000 residents,” he wrote.

In Northeast Indiana, this designation is an example of the region’s strong competitive business climate. That’s why many Northeast Indiana counties are consistently on the list.

To celebrate this national recognition during National Economic Development Week, we reached out to the economic development leaders in these counties to get their reaction.

Decatur in Adams County

Colton Bickel, executive director for Adams County Economic Development, said Adams County has been experiencing strong momentum and growth, which helped land the county on this nationally-recognized list.

“The Adams County EDC is both humbled and honored to see the City of Decatur be included in Site Selection Magazine’s list of top micropolitans. This designation provides validity to our economic development efforts as we continue to make the City of Decatur a premier location to conduct business. We believe this reinforces what we already know⁠—the City of Decatur’s business environment and quality of life provides tremendous value and puts the community on the map,” said Bickel.

Huntington in Huntington County

For Mark Wickersham, executive director for the Huntington County Economic Development Corporation, he said this is the fifth time in his tenure in Huntington that Site Selection Magazine has recognized its economic development efforts as among the top 100 micropolitan communities in the U.S.

“We’ve all heard that economic development efforts are like a ‘team sport.’ It’s very encouraging to learn that a major publication recognizes our team’s accomplishments. In Huntington County, 2019 was a record year for both capital investment and the number of overall projects in our industrial community in Huntington County. Our community leadership has done a fantastic job positioning us for future success,” said Wickersham.

Warsaw in Kosciusko County

Alan Tio, CEO of the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp., said that since moving into the area a few years ago, he has come to appreciate that Warsaw and Kosciusko County are clearly a unique place to live, learn and earn.

“Warsaw is building on a 100-year legacy as the Orthopedic Capital with city leaders continuing to invest in local amenities that attract people from around the world who contribute to a still-thriving orthopedic industry. We appreciate this recognition of our business and community accomplishments and continue to compete as a destination for talent that can enjoy our lake lifestyle, our amenities, and career opportunities,” said Tio.

Angola in Steuben County

Isaac Lee, executive director of the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation, said Angola has been in the top 10 in this list for the last three years.

“Steuben County EDC is truly excited for Angola and Steuben County that again we have been placed as one of the top micropolitans in the U.S. This is somewhat of a benchmark for us as it ranks hundreds of micropolitans based on investment, new jobs or new construction. This is a direct result of the community and the businesses working together to grow and prosper,” said Lee.

There are 542 micropolitans identified by the White House Office of Management and Budget. In 2017, 8.4% of the U.S. population lived in these micros. Click here to read the full edition of Site Selection Magazine. 

To learn more about the region’s local economic development offices, visit the website. If you have questions about our business development efforts, please contact Senior Vice President of Economic Development and Chief Operating Officer Chad Ruston.