There’s no question that companies outside Johnson County find its low crime rate, great access, short work commutes, well-respected schools, low cost of living and high per-capita income irresistible. From 1980 to 2000, these factors have attracted 180,000 new residents, 9,000 new businesses and over 200,000 new jobs. No wonder the county bills itself as the growth engine of the Kansas City metropolitan area.

The growth in employment and new business establishments has accelerated since the engine went into overdrive in the 1990s. From 1990 to 1999, the employment base grew by 12,503 jobs a year or 1,042 per month.

From 1995 to 2001, 5,669 new businesses appeared in Johnson County, equating to almost 80 per month or more than two a day. In absolute numbers, this increase is far more than any other county in Kansas City’s 11-county MSA. Johnson County has nearly caught up with Jackson County in terms of total business establishments, as well—21,833 to 27,905.

The county has seen tremendous new construction in the past 20 years as businesses and people have chosen this as the place to work and live. Just from 1995 to 2000, new construction totaled over $7 billion, accounting for 47 percent of the metro area’s total.

Retail sales is another indicator of a strong economy, and Johnson County has plenty. In 1997, the last year for which the Census Bureau collected retail information, Johnson County was second only to Jackson County in the MSA for retail sales, with a total of $5.4 billion compared to $7.2 billion. On a per-capita basis, Johnson County surpassed Jackson, $12,943 to $11,066.

From retail to construction to services, there is no one sector dominating the economy, and virtually every one has grown at a more rapid rate than has the national average. The diversification of the Johnson County economy will help it weather any economic downturns and keep it poised to take advantage of the upturns.