Concord, NH: Doesn’t Feel Like No. 1 (But Not So Bad, Either)

After POLICOM Corporation’s research came out yesterday ranking Concord, New Hampshire as the strongest micropolitan economy in the country (check out yesterday’s post on this if you haven’t yet), I decided to get some reactions downtown. Setting up shop at The Works Bakery Cafe, I posed the question below. What do you think? Leave us comment!

Concord was just ranked the number one micropolitan economy in the country. Does it feel that way to you?

Per Gill-Foster, DJ and Construction Worker

“I knew I was in the right place. I felt it! …but seriously, strongest economy? That definitely seems off-base. It’s really hard to make a sale on anything here.”

Mike Ames, Laconia Small Businessman

“Certainly it’s more thriving than where I live in Laconia. It’s a mess up there. There were empty storefronts in Concord, too, but everything is better than it was a few years ago.”

Marjorie Waters, Meals On Wheels Delivery-Person

“I’m surprised! Although I think nonprofits like Leadership Concord have made a thriving downtown, by training leaders who invest in the community.”

Stephen Johnson, Concord Resident and Tufts University Student

“I always assumed it’s not the most vibrant economy, because everything closes at 8pm. It becomes like an abandoned ghost town. But I do recognize we have a lot of small businesses. I think True Brew is the best coffee anywhere I’ve been, even in Boston, and South Korea.”

Overall, New Hampshire did very well in the Policom rankings. Of the 366 metropolitan areas listed, Southern New Hampshire is included in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area, which ranked 38th, and Manchester-Nashua was not far beind at 40th.

Out of 576 micropolitan areas, Concord came in first, Lebanon came in at eighth, Laconia ranked 35th, Claremont was 45th, Keene 51st and Berlin came in at 274th.