Chicago once again has been crowned the top city in the U.S. for corporate expansions and relocations.
The city was named the top metro in the country for corporate investment by Site Selection magazine, a trade publication that covers corporate real estate and economic development.
Chicago saw 441 business expansions or relocations in the metro area in 2021, which was tops across the country. Dallas (389), Houston (293), Austin (208) and New York (208) rounded out the top five.
Chicago has owned this ranking for nearly a decade. The city has claimed the top spot on the list for nine years in a row. The last time Chicago didn’t finish first was in 2012 when Houston took the top spot.
Last year's corporate expansions resulted in $2.8 billion in investments, 18,368 jobs and 59 million square feet of expanded or new space, the city said.
Some of the larger expansions last year included Nature's Fynd, which announced a new 200,000-square-foot facility at Marina Crossing where the startup will produce its alternative proteins like meatless sausage patties and dairy-free cream cheese. Other companies announcing expansions last year in Chicago include John Deere, Discover Financial Services and Kimberly Clark.
Mayor Lightfoot said in a statement the ranking is "a testament to our city's incredible strengths, workforce and diverse economy."
Despite the city's ability to attract corporate investment, crime in Chicago resulted in at least one business that opted not to follow through on plans to open up shop here. Crain's reported last month that a tech company canceled its plans to lease an office in Fulton Market following a shooting in September.
