Local Business Vitality

Small and locally owned businesses stimulate a great deal of economic growth and activity at the community-level. Locally-owned businesses (i.e., 0-4 employees) are more likely to be integrated in the civic infrastructure of the community. A local entrepreneurial culture promotes population health through collective efficacy, which “provides a problem- solving capacity to addressing public health problems.” A strong entrepreneurial environment is associated with lower rates of mortality, obesity and diabetes, and some research suggests that “curbing diabetes prevalence should utilize the business community as a key agent of social change. The Local Business Vitality indicator reports the local- capitalism, of each neighborhood, by calculating the proportion of small, locally-owned businesses. Although the Local Business Vitality indicator is found under the Economic Health domain, it is also relevant to the Employment Opportunities, Social Cohesion, and Neighborhood Characteristics domains. The Local Business Vitality indicator was calculated using data from the U.S. Census and InfoGroup, Inc.

Neighborhood Indicator Value Ranksort descending
Sandusky 100.0% 1
West Goldwire 100.0% 1
Pine Knoll Vista 100.0% 1
Brownsville Heights 100.0% 1
Penfield Park 88.9% 5
Bridlewood 87.5% 6
Powderly 85.7% 7
East Brownville 83.3% 8
Ensley Highlands 82.0% 9
Central Pratt 80.0% 10
Grasselli Heights 80.0% 10
Bush Hills 79.4% 12
Apple Valley 79.0% 13
Germania Park 79.0% 13
Dolomite 77.1% 15
Fairview 76.7% 16
Green Acres 75.0% 17
West Brownville 75.0% 17
Roebuck Springs 72.8% 19
Central City 72.2% 20
Crestwood North 71.8% 21
Gate City 71.4% 22
Belview Heights 70.4% 23
Smithfield Estates 69.4% 24
Spring Lake 68.6% 25
North Pratt 68.4% 26
Highland Park 67.7% 27
Ensley 67.1% 28
Roosevelt 66.7% 29
Hillman 66.7% 29
Zion City 66.7% 29
Rising - West Princeton 65.5% 32
Wylam 65.2% 33
Killough Springs 65.0% 34
Riley 64.7% 35
East Lake 63.1% 36
Redmont Park 63.0% 37
West End Manor 62.5% 38
Fairmont 62.5% 38
North Titusville 62.0% 40
East Thomas 61.9% 41
South East Lake 60.5% 42
Crestwood South 60.4% 43
Enon Ridge 60.0% 44
Evergreen 60.0% 44
Woodland Park 60.0% 44
Industrial Center 60.0% 44
Central Park 58.9% 48
Graymont 58.6% 49
Huffman 58.4% 50
Jones Valley 57.9% 51
Forest Park 57.8% 52
Roebuck 57.6% 53
Arlington - West End 57.4% 54
Sherman Heights 57.1% 55
Oakwood Place 56.0% 56
Smithfield 55.9% 57
Crestline 55.8% 58
Five Points South 54.9% 59
North East Lake 54.8% 60
Sun Valley 54.6% 61
Woodlawn 54.5% 62
Kingston 54.2% 63
Glen Iris 54.1% 64
South Titusville 54.0% 65
Mason City 53.9% 66
Echo Highlands 52.9% 67
Inglenook 51.3% 68
Tuxedo 50.0% 69
Wahouma 50.0% 69
Oak Ridge 50.0% 69
Oak Ridge Park 50.0% 69
Airport Highlands 50.0% 69
Brown Springs 50.0% 69
Maple Grove 50.0% 69
South Woodlawn 47.8% 76
Eastwood 47.3% 77
North Birmingham 47.2% 78
Druid Hills 46.4% 79
Acipco-Finley 45.8% 80
Tarpley City 44.4% 81
East Avondale 44.2% 82
Fountain Heights 43.8% 83
Southside 42.4% 84
North Avondale 41.3% 85
Norwood 41.0% 86
Collegeville 40.3% 87
Hooper City 40.0% 88
South Pratt 40.0% 88
College Hills 39.3% 90
Oxmoor 37.9% 91
Overton 37.6% 92
Garden Highlands 36.8% 93
Liberty Highlands 36.7% 94
East Birmingham 33.3% 95
Thomas 31.9% 96
Harriman Park 28.0% 97
Hillman Park 0.0% 98
Brummitt Heights 0.0% 98

Key Citations:
1. Besser, T. (2013). Resilient small rural towns and community shocks. Journal of Rural and Community Development, 8.1, 117-134.
2. Blanchard, T.C., Tolbert, C., & Mencken, C. (2012). The health and wealth of US counties: how the small business environment impacts alternative measures of development. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 5.1, 149-162. Available at: http://businessreport.com/editorial-pdfs/small-business-study.pdf
3. 2013 Independent Business Survey. (2013). Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). Available at: http://www.ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2013-Survey.pdf.
4. Blanchard, T. C., C. Tolbert, and C. Mencken. 2012. “The Health and Wealth of US Counties: How the Small Business Environment Impacts Alternative Measures of Development.” Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 5(1):149–62.
5. Blanchard, Troy C., Jing Li, Carson Mencken, and Charles M. Tolbert. 2012. “Entrepreneurial Environment and the Prevalence of Diabetes in U.S. Counties.” ISRN Public Health 2012:1–5.