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

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