Brief Prosperity Profile of Kingston, Ontario

January 26, 2009

A Brief Prosperity Profile of

Kingston, Ontario

Kevin Stolarick, PhD

Research Director

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1. Present Benchmark Peers

2. Describe Selected Measures

a. Some “Lagging”

b. Some “Leading”

3. Get Your Thinking

Where does Kingston rank?

4. Discussion

Outline / Approach

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Benchmark Peers

Peer Selection

14 peer states/

provinces for

Ontario based on

population.

10 cities/regions

selected with

populations

approximately the

same as Kingston.

• College Station, TX

• Sherbrooke, QC

• Kelowna, BC

• Bloomington, IL

• Rocky Mount, NC

• Trois Rivieres, QC

• State College, PA

• Battle Creek, MI

• Dalton, GA

• Mount Veron, WA

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Technology

Technology

“A high technology base is both a

necessary condition for and a result

of a region having a strong creative

economy.

Being known as a "high-tech" region

helps to attract the creative

workforce, which, in turn, generates

new technologies making the region

even more high-tech.”

Technology

• “Tech Pole” Index (based on Milken Institute)– Share of total US/Canada “high technology”

– Regional concentration of “high tech” among all industries

• Combination allows smaller, tech-intensive

regions to score well

• US & Canada, based on total employment

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Tech-Pole Index: Where does Kingston rank?

• Ranking out of 11 (Kingston + 10 peers)

• Peer Average: 0.021

• Lowest peer score: 0.002 (Battle Creek, MI)

• Highest peer score: 0.079 (State College, PA)

•Where does Kingston rank?–Top 3?

–Bottom 3?

–Middle 5?

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Tech-Pole Index: Kingston “Middle 5”

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Talent

Talent

“The concentration of people in the Creative and Super Creative Classes, has a stronger relationship with economic growth.

Creative people don't just cluster where the jobs are. They cluster in places that are centers of creativity and also where they like to live.

Places need a people climate -- or a creativity climate -- as well as a business climate.”

Talent

• “BA and above”

• Percent of population 25 and older with a

bachelor’s (4-year) university degree or higher

(masters, graduate, PhD)

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Talent Index: Where does Kingston rank?


• Peer Average: 22.2%

• Lowest peer score: 12.0% (Dalton, GA)

• Highest peer score: 40.2% (State College, PA)


–Bottom 3?

–Middle 5?

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Talent Index: Kingston “Middle 5”

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Talent

• Now, a “Creative Economy”– Innovation, Thinking, Creativity

• “Paid to think”–Everyone has the potential to be creative

• Percent of workforce in the “Creative Class”T = Technology and R&D Innovation

A = Arts and Culture

P = Professional and Managerial

E = Educating and Training

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Creative Class: Where does Kingston rank?



• Lowest peer score: 18.5% (Dalton, GA)

• Highest peer score: 32.8% (Sherbrooke, QC)


–Bottom 3?

–Middle 5?

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Creative Class: Kingston “Top 3”

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Tolerance / Inclusiveness


“Diversity has become a politically

charged buzzword. To some it is an

ideal and rallying cry, to others a

Trojan-horse concept that has

brought us affirmative action and

other liberal abominations.

Creative Class people use the word

often, but not to press any political hot

buttons. Diversity is simply something

they value in all its manifestations.”


• Mosaic Index

• Percent of population foreign born

• Immigrants generate growth and are a sign or

regional “openness”

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Mosaic Index: Where does Kingston rank?



• Lowest peer score: 2.2% (Trois-Rivieres, QC)

• Highest peer score: 15.0% (Dalton, GA)


–Bottom 3?

–Middle 5?

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Talent Index: Kingston “Top 3”

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Population Growth

Population Growth

• Percent growth/decline in total population

• Between 2001 and 2006

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Population Growth: Where does Kingston rank?



• Lowest peer score: 0.0% (Battle Creek, MI)

• Highest peer score: 12.4% (Mount Vernon, WA)


–Bottom 3?

–Middle 5?

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Talent Index: Kingston “Middle 5”

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Discussion / Summary

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For More Information

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Summary StatisticsPeer Min

Value

Peer

Average

Peer Max

Value

N.A. Average of

Urban Regions

Total Population, 2006 115,700 152,000 197,000 546,000

GDP (CAD millions) 2006 $5,000 $6,000 $9,000 $29,000

Median Age, 2006 26 36.5 43.8 37.5

Overall Cost of Living 92.5 105.4 131.4 101.5

Overall PerformanceKingston,

ON

Peer

Ranking

Peer Min

Value

Peer

Average

Peer Max

Value

N.A. Average of

Urban Regions

Population Growth (00-05) 3.8% 8 0% 6.1% 12.4% 5.7%

Job Growth (00-05) 0.3% 10 -3.6% 5.1% 19.9% 9.3%

GDP per capita, 2006 $46,000 6 35,500 $45,000 $58,200 $45,000

Change in Average Wage (00-05) 3.1% 3 -11.2% -1.7% 3.7% 0.1%

Creativity Index 0.66 1 0.27 0.45 0.66 NA

TechnologyKingston,

ON

Peer

Ranking

Peer Min

Value

Peer

Average

Peer Max

Value

N.A. Average of

Urban Regions

Total Patents, 2005 20 5 2 18 42 517

Patents per 10,000, 2005 1.31 5 0.1 1.20 2.98 2.46

Patent Growth, Short Term (00-05) -10.7% 11 -10.7% 0.0% 24.6% -0.5%

North American High Tech LQ, 2006 0.55 6 0.22 0.58 1.54 0.63

North American Tech Pole Index 0.019 4 0.002 0.021 0.079 0.189

TalentKingston,

ON

Peer

Ranking

Peer Min

Value

Peer

Average

Peer Max

Value

N.A. Average of

Urban Regions

Creative Class as % of Workforce, 2006 32.8% 1 18.5% 25.4% 32.8% 26.1%

Super Creative Core as % of Workforce, 2006 19.4% 1 5.6% 12.3% 19.4% 11.0%

Pop > 25, Above High School below BA, 2006 57.2% NA 51.7% 58.1% 65.5% 59.0%

Talent Index (Pop > 25, BA and above), 2006 21.5% 4 12.0% 22.2% 40.2% 21.7%

Pop > 25, Graduate and/or Professional Degree, 2006 9.1% 4 3.4% 8.3% 20.5% 7.5%

Brain Drain/Gain Index, 2006 0.36 9 0.00 0.66 1.28 NA

ToleranceKingston,

ON

Peer

Ranking

Peer Min

Value

Peer

Average

Peer Max

Value

N.A. Average of

Urban Regions

Visible Minorities (% Pop), 2006 5.6% 3 0.0% 5.5% 28.1% 11.1%

Mosaic Index (% Pop), 2006 12.1% 3 2.2% 8.1% 15.0% 7.9%

Gay and Lesbian Index, 2006 1.35 1 0.64 0.84 1.35 0.81

Bohemian Index, 2006 0.93 2 0.16 0.48 1.05 0.69

Integration Index, 2006 0.86 3 1 0.77 0.92 NA

Territorial Assets Kingston,

ON

Peer

Ranking

Peer Min

Value

Peer

Average

Peer Max

Value

Social and Cultural AssetsArts and Cultural Establishments per 10,000, 2006 1.58 6 0.22 1.32 2.22

Resturants and Bars per 1,000, 2006 1.86 7 1.46 1.90 2.40

Student/teacher Ratio, 2006 13.82 10 13.58 15.77 22.17

Doctor's per 1,000, 2006 3.58 1 0.00 1.38 3.58

Civic AssetsFederal Voter Turnout (%), 2004/2006 68% 1 40% 59% 68%

Crime per Capita, 2006 0.06 9 0.02 0.06 0.12

Housing and Transportation AssetsPopulation Density (Km^2), 2006 80 10 25.34 74.55 160.76

Median Housing Value to Income Ratio, 2005 $3.72 2 $2.48 $3.63 $7.14

Auto Dependency, 2006 6.00 3 4.84 28.34 169.98

Benchmark Summary: Kingston vs Peer Regions

Worst Best

Kingston, ON152,000

$7,000

40.7

Worst Best

Worst Best

Worst Best

Worst Best

115.9

For More Information

• Richard Florida’s books–“The Rise of the Creative Class”

–“The Flight of the Creative Class”

–“Who’s Your City?”

• www.martinprosperity.org

• www.creativeclass.com

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http://www.martinprosperity.org/

http://www.creativeclass.com/

Thank You

Kevin Stolarick

[email protected]