CNN Money reports that Loudoun, Virginia is the #1 county in the nation in job growth. From 2000-2011, the number of jobs in Loudoun grew by more than 83 percent.
“The jobs followed the people,” explained Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott K. York. “It’s no accident that such a business-friendly county with the highest household income in the U.S. would attract employers who want to hire smart and successful people.”
Loudoun is home to 9,500 businesses and a total of 137,000 employees. The county’s largest private employers include globally-recognized businesses such as AOL, Raytheon, Verizon and Digital Realty. Many of Loudoun’s information and communications technology companies are based in the Ashburn area of the county; CNN Money listed Ashburn as one of the best places to live in America.
Ralph Buona represents the Ashburn District on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. “Ashburn is known as ‘Data Center Alley,’ and this industry has grown more than 181 percent since 2000,” Buona said. CNN Money notes that Ashburn’s abundance of high-paying tech jobs has contributed to its residents’ high median income.
In addition to tech companies, more than 900 federal government contractors are based in Loudoun, which is just 30 miles from the nation’s capital. The county is also home to the Washington Dulles International airport, which gives Loudoun businesses access to more than 80 percent of the world’s economies.
“Loudoun’s growth isn’t only fueled by airport-related, government and tech businesses,” said Loudoun Virginia Economic Development Director Tom Flynn. “Loudoun also has a thriving small business and entrepreneur community, with more than 76 percent of Loudoun businesses employing fewer than 20 people.”
Those small businesses range from tech startups to wineries. Loudoun’s robust agribusiness sector helps explain the fact that 46 percent of residents both live and work in Loudoun.
More information about the advantages to businesses of locating or expanding in Loudoun is available at 1-800-LOUDOUN and biz.loudoun.gov.