New Ranking Names Chicago #1 Emerging Tech Hub

By Rachel Cromidas in News on Feb 6, 2017 8:20PM

Much has been made of Chicago's perpetual status as an emerging tech hub—the next, next, next Silicon Valley, if you will, for high-profile tech startups looking for a place with a more manageable cost of living and cost of operating a company.

And with the help of tech incubators like 1871 the growth of local training programs and the redevelopment of Fulton Market into Google's chic new Chicago headquarters, Chicago's tech hub status is starting to feel more real. The latest prediction to herald Chicago's tech sector comes from Modis, an Information Technology staffing services company, which conducted a user survey to determine which big city housing markets were poised to be "transformed" by the tech industry.

Chicago came up number one in the ranking, chosen by 51 percent of those surveyed, and also among a majority younger people who've worked in the industry for less than five years in particular. Chicago also ranked highest among survey respondents with a bachelors degree, among those with a professional degree, and among Millennials, i.e. people ages 26 to 34.

Overall, Houston ranked second behind Chicago, followed by Boston, Denver and Philadelphia. The survey came on our radar after Mayor Rahm Emanuel released a statement praising Chicago's tech sector growth, which he has focused on promoting since becoming mayor.

“For three years Chicago has led the nation in corporate relocations, and this survey shows that talent is following," the statement says. "Chicago is a global hub for technology and a place where both companies and their employees can thrive."