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

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