Amazon says its second headquarters will have up to 50,000 future employees, and eight million square feet of office space over the next several years. How well would the 19 U.S. city-finalists fare in accommodating these goals?
The HQ2 contenders fall into four housing market categories. Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, and Dallas make up the 'stable, growth-friendly' group, per Brookings, with "traditionally had stable housing markets that accommodated population growth without price spikes. Unlike the Northeast and West Coast metros, their local governments have tended to allow new housing development without onerous regulations ... This group offers the highest likelihood of absorbing HQ2 with relatively minimal disruption to the existing housing market."
One final consideration: most of the cities on Amazon’s list are having skirmishes, if not outright battles, against gentrification in some neighborhoods. Local governments are already grappling with how to mitigate the impacts of rising costs on current residents while welcoming affluent newcomers. Even absent Amazon’s potentially disruptive presence, city leaders in all regions are trying to balance growth with equity concerns.