Chicago Named Top Metro for Relocation
For the 13th consecutive year, Chicagoland has been named the top U.S. metro for corporate relocation and site selection by Site Selection Magazine. The ranking was fueled by projects that generated $1.7 billion in earnings and created 19,600 jobs.
The latest recognition was driven by 223 corporate projects in 2025, a 40% increase from the previous year. These relocations and expansions cover a wide range of sectors including office, industrial, headquarters, warehouse, and data centers. This long-standing success is attributed to Chicago's diverse economy, with no single industry making up more than 13% of its GDP. The city's access to a large talent pool, with over 145,000 university students in the metro area, is also a key factor for attracting businesses. Recent corporate commitments include projects from Universal Horror Unleashed, Hexaware Technologies, and Freedman Seating Company. These add to a history of attracting major companies, with 35 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city, ranking it second in the U.S. A significant recent investment is from PsiQuantum, which is anchoring the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park on the city's South Side. This project highlights the region's focus on attracting future-focused industries. The effort to attract and retain businesses is a collaborative one, involving the city, seven surrounding counties (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will) through the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership, and World Business Chicago, the city's public-private economic development agency. Illinois offers various economic incentives to attract businesses, including the Enterprise Zone Program, which provides tax incentives and exemptions, and the Class 6(b) Property Tax Incentive, offering a 12-year reduction in real estate assessments for industrial properties. While Chicago has consistently held the top spot, other major metropolitan areas are also strong contenders for corporate relocations. In 2024, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area ranked second with 489 projects, followed by the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area with 435 projects.
