Atlanta is the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population of 5.7 million. Its economy is vibrant and diversified, with a significant presence of businesses engaged in finance, industry, service and transportation, which support demand for industrial real estate.
The Atlanta region has experienced impressive population growth in the last 25 years. With nearly 3 million jobs, the region supports a high level of consumption. Accordingly, a substantial network of logistics warehouses is required support local demand.

Austin, Texas’s capital city with a population of about 930,000 and a relatively low unemployment rate of 3.2 percent, is one of the fastest-growing large cities in the United States. Jobs in Austin are also growing, and wages are above both U.S. and Texas averages. With rapid population growth, a growing tech sector and a vibrant business environment, the city is also an important hub for logistics and industrial real estate.

With a population of about 9.6 million, the expansive Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region is the fourth-largest and one of the most prosperous metropolitan areas in the U.S. It is an important center for logistics and industrial real estate.

Central Florida, a broad region that is home to more than 5.4 million residents, is anchored by the sprawling metropolis of Orlando, which boasts a population 2.3 million. Long a magnet for newcomers, Central Florida is one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S. Population growth spurs demand for e-commerce logistics, industrial real estate and warehouse property throughout the region.

California’s Central Valley, which stretches from Bakersfield in the south to Sacramento in the north, accounts for 8 percent of U.S. agricultural output. In addition to farming, the Central Valley supports more than 1,650 food and beverage manufacturing operations that drive demand for logistics real estate.

Charlotte is the political, banking and business capital of North Carolina. With a population of 827,000, Charlotte is the largest city in the state. The broader Charlotte region, which is home to 2.4 million, is an important regional distribution and logistics hub.

Charlotte is headquarters to seven Fortune 500 companies. Fueled by population growth, the region’s housing market is healthy, with many new developments underway downtown and across the broader region.

Chicago is the one of the most important logistics and transportation hubs in the U.S. with a powerful network of rail, airport and truck routes that reach nationwide markets. Chicago is also the largest industrial real estate market in the country, with 1.3 billion square feet of warehouse space.

A historic city on the Ohio River with a population of 2.2 million, Cincinnati is one of the most rapidly growing metropolitan areas in the Midwest. The region’s 2015 GDP of $121 billion makes it the 29th-largest metropolitan region in the U.S.

Home to large companies in various industries, such as retail, chemicals, manufacturing, banking and consumer products, Cincinnati’s economy is well diversified.

Columbus is the political and educational capital of Ohio. Anchored by state government and Ohio State University, with 66,000 students, the local economy is experiencing an increase in business investment. The city has become an operations center for financial services companies, with two large institutions—JP Morgan Chase and Nationwide—each employing more than 10,000 people in the region.

The metropolitan area of Dallas has the fifth-largest GDP and fourth-largest population in the United States.  The region’s sprawling population of 7.1 million represents a vast consumer market. The region’s economy is relatively strong. For the past 10 years, unemployment in Dallas has lagged national norms by a full percentage point.

The Denver region, with a population of 3.1 million, is among the most economically vibrant metropolitan areas in the United States. Its diversified economy is supported by various industries, including natural resources, health care, education and construction. As such, it is a prime market for industrial property.

Houston has the distinction of being both one of the largest cities in the U.S. and one of the most rapidly growing, making it a significant market for industrial property.

With a population of about 2.2 million, Houston is the nation’s fourth most populous city. Houston’s vibrant economy is built in part on its status as the world’s capital for energy. Beyond oil and natural gas production, the region is home to companies in energy services, equipment and financing.

With a population of about 2 million, Indianapolis is the political, cultural and business capital of Indiana. With a low cost of living and housing, the Indianapolis area is one of the most affordable large cities in the U.S.

Since February 2010, employment in the greater Indianapolis region has risen by 20 percent, adding more than 160,000 jobs. 

The Inland Empire is a large region to the east of Los Angeles that includes Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. With 52 cities, a population of 4.5 million and $68 billion in taxable retail sales in 2015, it is a major economy and an important hub for domestic logistics.

With easy access to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the Inland Empire, is also a gateway to Asia. As a result of relatively low-cost land, it has emerged as a significant big-box and warehouse distribution hub for the greater Southern California region (with nearly 24 million residents).

The greater Los Angeles/Orange County area is the world’s 11th-largest economy with a regional GDP of nearly $1 trillion. With a combined population of 13 million, the region is more populous than 46 of the country’s 50 states. The region is also the most densely populated metropolitan area in the U.S.

Las Vegas is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. Spurred by expansion of the gaming and tourism industries, housing construction and a growing startup scene, the Las Vegas metropolitan area has seen its population rise nearly 50 percent to 2.15 million from 2000 to 2015. Rapid growth has made the area an important hub for logistics and industrial real estate.

Nashville, Tennessee, has a rapidly growing metropolitan area of 1.8 million, and its economy is diversifying. The Nashville economy is anchored by a strong tourism sector, with more than 13 million annual visitors, state government offices and manufacturing. 

The New York-New Jersey metropolitan area is the largest in the United States, with a total population of more than 20 million. As the nation’s capital for finance, media, healthcare, fashion and a host of other industries, the region offers an unmatched combination of wealth, economic activity and density. More than 30 percent of the U.S. population lives within 500 miles of the New York City metropolitan area. As such, it is an important center for logistics and distribution activity.

Pennsylvania is a vital distribution and logistics center for the Northeastern United States and the broader global economy. Situated at the midpoint of the densely populated Atlantic seaboard, nearly 100 million people live within a 400-mile radius.

An extensive road and rail network connects Pennsylvania to the ports of New York, New Jersey, Baltimore and Philadelphia and to major airports including, JFK, Newark and Philadelphia. As a result, Pennsylvania is a hub for logistics warehouses and industrial properties.

Phoenix is the sixth-largest city in the United States  and one of the country’s fastest growing metropolitan areas. With a population of 4.4 million, the greater Phoenix metropolitan area is expected to add 1 million residents in the coming decade. The city’s growing consumer population makes Phoenix a burgeoning hub for logistics, distribution and warehouses.

Phoenix has a diversified economy, with increasing activity in the education, health care, tourism and manufacturing sectors.

Portland, Oregon, is a vibrant Pacific Northwest city. The rapidly growing, seven-county Portland metropolitan area has a population of 2.4 million and added 40,000 new residents in 2015. It is the 23rd-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and an important regional hub for distribution and logistics.

The local economy, which is powered by manufacturing, high technology and clean energy, necessitates a broad range of warehouse and industrial real estate facilities.

Reno, Nevada, stands astride I-80, a major east-west highway that connects San Francisco and Sacramento to Salt Lake City. The Union Pacific Railroad provides a freight tie-in. Logistics companies use these rail and truck networks to reach 80 percent of the vast Western U.S. within a day’s travel time. Accordingly, Reno is an important regional hub for industrial real estate and warehouses.

San Antonio, with a population of 2.4 million, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. In 2015, the San Antonio-New Braunfels metropolitan area was one of only 16 regions in the U.S. to add more than 50,000 residents. Among U.S. urban areas with populations greater than 1 million, only five grew faster than San Antonio.
 

The San Francisco Bay Area, which includes Oakland and San Jose, is a vibrant, densely populated, high-income region that serves as the high-technology industry’s global capital. With a population of more than 7 million, it is the nation’s fifth-largest metropolitan area. As such, it is an engine of consumption and an industrial property power center.

With a population of 3.7 million, the Seattle metropolitan area is the 15th largest in the United States. Thanks to a vibrant economy and highly educated workforce, 41 percent of which are college graduates, Seattle enjoys a median household income that is 40 percent higher than the U.S. at large.

The South Florida region, with a population of 6 million, is the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. An increasingly important center for regional and international logistics and distribution, South Florida is home to several large and rapidly growing cities, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Boca Raton.