Most of us who live in Fort Payne never think about what our town looks like on paper.  We are only concerned about the everyday visuals that are so familiar to us.

If you were a business seeking to relocate, you would see the paper stats first.  Available workforce becomes a high priority in the research.

Education and healthcare also play vital roles in the recruitment process for business growth.

I want to share some statistics about our city based on 2008 estimates.  The 2010 census will give us a clearer picture of our growth.  However these estimates present trends in our demographics.

The following figures represent the population within a 10 mile radius of the 218 exit of I-59:

Expected population growth is 5.66% or 32,726

Median age is 38

Women out number males by a small margin 50.87% to 49.13%

Only 21% have not finished high school

Average household income is $46,450

Over 1514 businesses with 23,194 employees with sales over $2,404       million are located within radius

Expected demand growth for retail sales is 22%

Daily traffic count between exits 218 and 222 is over 19,600

 Mayor Jordan has stated on many occasions that the greatest recruitment tool for industry is our people.  I believe that the Mayor and City Council have the capabilities to lower our unemployment rate through not only recruiting new industries but also supporting the retention and growth of our existing ones.