Competitive Assessment
A Competitive Assessment analyzes a combination of factors that
determines a community’s competitiveness as a place to live,
work, and do business. The challenge that Gwinnett County faces
is how to find new and different ways to increase the competitiveness
of the County’s existing economic base while fostering an
environment necessary to grow the companies of tomorrow.
The four key categories of analysis in the Competitive Assessment
include: education and workforce development; infrastructure; business
costs and capacity; and quality of life. Market Street will use
local, state, and national data sources to assess Gwinnett County’s
competitiveness and compare it against three comparison counties
to provide a comparative understanding of Gwinnett County’s
competitive position relative to counties that compete against it
for jobs and people.
The comparison counties will be Cobb County, GA; Fairfax County,
VA; and Collin County, TX.
Indicators and information to be analyzed include the following:
Education and Workforce Development Indicators
- Educational attainment levels;
- K-12 enrollment trends;
- High school drop out and graduation rates;
- Per pupil expenditures;
- Student/teacher ratios;
- Standardized test scores;
- Inventory and assessment of available higher education programs;
- Two and four-year institution graduates by degree program; and
- Available workforce development programming.
Infrastructure
- Accessibility and condition of road transportation system;
- Comprehensiveness of public transportation system;
- Capacity and accessibility of air transportation;
- Rail transportation network;
- Technology assets, including high speed internet access;
- Innovation measures, including patent activity and academic
research funding; and
- Access to business capital.
Business Costs and Capacity
- Availability of buildings, sites, and business parks for commercial
and industrial use;
- Ease/difficulty of development regulations/processes;
- Labor cost assessment based on average annual pay by business
sector;
- Costs of utility services;
- Average fuel prices;
- Local and state tax rates affecting business operations;
- Brief assessment of local tax revenues and fiscal capacity;
- Assessment of available local and state incentive programs;
and
- Available support for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Quality of Life
- Cost-of-living estimates;
- Affordability of housing;
- Availability of health care services;
- Measures of infant, child, and adult welfare and health;
- Crime rates;
- Recreational, cultural, arts, and entertainment amenities;
- Air and water quality, and other measures of environmental health;
and
- Civic engagement.
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