Local Business Vitality

Local Business Vitality is the proportion of small businesses within a neighborhood. Small business are defined as those with 0-4 employees. Higher percentages are ranked better than lower percentages. Small businesses are often locally-owned. This indicator is one way to measure the strength of a community’s entrepreneurial culture. Local business vitality was calculated using data from the U.S. Census.

Local business vitality is related to health. Neighborhoods with business vitality often have lower rates of death, obesity and diabetes. In small communities, high proportions of l locally-owned businesses promote economic stability and socio-economic well-being. Local Business Vitality is included in the Economic Health Domain.

Neighborhoodsort descending Indicator Value Rank
Armatage 70.5% 6
Audubon Park 59.8% 22
Bancroft 55.8% 37
Beltrami 47.4% 63
Bottineau 57.1% 35
Bryant 59.6% 26
Bryn - Mawr 57.6% 34
Calhoun Area Residents Action Group (CARAG) 55.3% 42
Camden Industrial 52.4% 52
Cedar - Isles - Dean 57.7% 32
Cedar Riverside 43.6% 78
Central 55.8% 37
Cleveland 51.4% 55
Columbia Park 59.8% 22
Como 44.0% 73
Cooper 54.1% 48
Corcoran 55.3% 42
Diamond Lake 70.9% 5
Downtown East 47.5% 62
Downtown West 45.9% 67
East Calhoun (ECCO) 58.2% 29
East Harriet 62.4% 18
East Isles 55.3% 42
East Phillips 51.6% 53
Elliot Park 45.4% 70
Ericsson 54.3% 47
Field 65.6% 14
Folwell 58.0% 30
Fulton 72.3% 4
Hale 72.9% 1
Harrison 55.8% 37
Hawthorne 46.3% 65
Hiawatha 54.1% 48
Holland 57.9% 31
Howe 54.1% 48
Humboldt Industrial Area 43.4% 80
Jordan 42.8% 86
Keewaydin 72.9% 1
Kenny 68.6% 10
Kenwood 56.6% 36
King Field 63.0% 17
Lind - Bohanon 46.0% 66
Linden Hills 69.1% 9
Logan Park 43.9% 75
Longfellow 54.0% 51
Loring Park 45.8% 68
Lowry Hill 48.0% 61
Lowry Hill East 55.3% 42
Lyndale 55.5% 41
Lynnhurst 68.2% 11
Marcy Holmes 43.8% 76
Marshall Terrace 59.8% 22
McKinley 57.7% 32
Mid - City Industrial 44.0% 73
Midtown Phillips 51.5% 54
Minnehaha 63.5% 16
Morris Park 72.9% 1
Near - North 45.1% 72
Nicollet Island - East Bank 43.8% 76
North Loop 49.5% 60
Northeast Park 47.4% 63
Northrop 64.4% 15
Page 69.6% 8
Phillips West 50.2% 58
Powderhorn Park 55.8% 37
Prospect Park - East River Road 43.3% 83
Regina 61.6% 20
Seward 50.3% 57
Sheridan 43.6% 78
Shingle Creek 43.4% 80
St. Anthony East 43.1% 85
St. Anthony West 43.4% 80
Standish 55.2% 46
Steven's Square - Loring Heights 45.7% 69
Sumner - Glenwood (Heritage Park) 50.0% 59
Tangletown 66.7% 13
University of Minnesota 43.3% 83
Ventura Village 45.3% 71
Victory 58.5% 27
Waite Park 59.7% 25
Webber - Camden 58.5% 27
Wenonah 69.8% 7
West Calhoun 62.4% 18
Whittier 51.4% 55
Willard - Hay 42.8% 86
Windom 67.6% 12
Windom Park 60.0% 21

Key Citations:
1. Besser, T. (2013). Resilient small rural towns and community shocks. Journal of Rural and Community Development, 8.1, 117-134.

2. Blanchard, T.C., Tolbert, C., & Mencken, C. (2012). The health and wealth of US counties: how the small business environment impacts alternative measures of development. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 5.1, 149-162. Available here

3. 2013 Independent Business Survey. (2013). Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). Available here