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.

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

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