Kansas Ranked 10th in Nation for Economic Development Projects Per Capita
March 9, 2021
Kansas had the most dramatic jump in economic development success of any state in the country in 2020, according to Site Selection magazine.
With 70 projects meeting the magazine’s criteria, Kansas ranked 10th in the nation in economic development projects per capita in 2020. The new ranking increased from 2019 when Kansas was ranked No. 20.
“Our latest Site Selection ranking proves what we already know: Kansas is on the right track to continue strengthening our economy,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “More businesses means more, higher-paying jobs for Kansans. As our economy continues to recover from COVID-19, our ability to attract new development and maintain existing businesses will be critical.”
This achievement comes in the wake of sweeping changes to the state’s Department of Commerce, including a new International division, a fully-staffed Business Recruitment team, an overhauled In-State Development team, and other improvements. These strategic shifts for Commerce led to 2020 being one of Kansas’ most successful capital investment years ever. In 2020, the Kelly Administration broke the all-time capital investment record since the Department of Commerce was formed with more than $2.5 billion in new capital investment.
