The opportunity for businesses and the St. Louis region
The opportunity for businesses and the St. Louis region
Reversing Population and Workforce Decline
The St. Louis region has fallen to 23rd in the list of the largest metropolitan regions in the U.S., behind Orlando and Charlotte, respectively.
This continued decline and difficulty attracting new residents is creating sustained downward pressure that negatively impacts the region in a myriad of ways, including:
- A declining workforce for area businesses
- Declining tax revenue
- Stagnant economic growth
- Difficulty competing with other metro regions for business, talent, and other opportunities
While other U.S. cities have grown through immigration, St. Louis continues to decline. Our region’s percentage of foreign-born residents is currently 5.7%, ranking second-to-last among the top 30 metro areas.
Legal Immigrants Bring Immense Value
These new Americans also do more than just fill jobs—they buy homes, raise families, and become an integral part of our community. Immigrant households in the St. Louis region earn $5.9 billion in total income, pay $1.6 billion in taxes, and hold $4.3 billion in spending power.
Reversing Population and Workforce Decline
In 2022 alone, nearly 2.6 million people legally immigrated to the United States. The vast majority of these new Americans settled in larger U.S. cities where the cost of living far exceeds the national average.
