Expansion Magazine has released their ninth annual “America’s 50 Hottest Cities” list and St. Louis made the cut. Cities were listed alphabetically, not in rank order.

The list is based strictly on perceptions rather than cold, hard data, according to managing editor Ken Krizner. The publication polled 80 prominent site location consultants on their choices for the nation’s best cities for expanding and relocating companies. Consultants ranked metro areas according to business environment, work force quality, operating costs, incentive programs, work force training programs, and the ease of working with the local political and economic development community.

All 362 Metropolitan Statistical Areas were considered, so the cities that make America’s 50 Hottest Cities are in the top 14 percent of all U.S. metro markets. In the eyes of premier site location consultants, these metro areas are top choice.

The St. Louis MSA includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, the Missouri counties of Saint Charles, Jefferson, Franklin, Lincoln and Warren, and the Illinois counties of Madison, Saint Clair, Clinton, Monroe and Jersey.

Reference: Expansion Magazine Online