As the largest and most established county in the metropolitan area (Jackson County’s 2000 population of 654,880 is half again as large as that of Johnson County’s 451,086), Jackson County displays the characteristics of a mature, but stable, economy. Its percentage growth rate may not reach that of its neighbors, but in absolute terms it still is home to more businesses, employs more people and sells more retail goods than any of the 11 counties in the Kansas City metropolitan statistical area (MSA).

The number of business establishments in the county grew from 24,340 in the fourth quarter of 1995 to 27,905 in the fourth quarter of 2001, according to MarketPlace and the Mid-America Regional Council. The next closest county at the end of 2001 was Johnson with 21,833.

Jackson County, like most other economies, enjoyed the expansion of the 1990s, and the value of the construction contracts let during the decade reflect that. Between January of 1990 and August of 2001, Jackson County saw a higher level of infrastructure and commercial construction than any other county in the region at $1.7 billion and $4.4 billion respectively. Only Johnson County was ahead in the value of residential construction contracts with $5.9 billion compared to $3.8.

Retail has also remained strong for the county. Total retail sales for 1997 (the last year for which census data is available) were $7.2 billion, which was 40 percent of the total for the metro area. And from 1992 to 1997, Jackson County experienced the largest increase in retail sales by far in terms of absolute dollars. Shoppers bought $2.2 billion worth of goods here compared to Johnson County’s $1.5 billion. Together, the two counties accounted for over two-thirds of total sales growth in the MSA. On a per-capita basis, Jackson County’s sales divided out to $11,066, third behind Clay and Johnson.

Whether urban or suburban, Jackson County offers work environments that attract and retain major employers. In addition to the Fortune 1000 headquarters of H&R Block, Interstate Bakeries and Aquila, other major headquarters in the county include DST Systems, Hallmark Cards, American Century Investments, and Burns & McDonnell. New employers to the area include a State Farm Insurance regional service center at the Hartman Heritage Center in Independence, SIKA Corp.’s new manufacturing facility in Grandview and the new Kohl Distribution Center in Blue Springs.

A 14-percent decrease in the number of workers in manufacturing jobs during the 1990s shows the county’s move away from the "old economy" toward the new. The diversification has helped the county weather economic downturns—as of February 2002, its unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent compared to the U.S. average of 5.5 percent.