Waterloo is at the top of a lot of rankings in Canada. For example, we’re home to Canada’s #1-ranked computer science, engineering and mathematics school, three fastest-growing tech companies and highest quality tech workforce. In the Canadian context, we shine.

This got us wondering – how do our Canadian tech credentials hold up against America’s top emerging tech markets?

To answer this, we dug deep into our data and published head-to-head comparisons with Austin, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Phoenix and Salt Lake City in a ‘5 Charts’ series. We’ve collected the results, and links to the in-depth articles, here.

If you like data (and a little friendly competition), then you will love this series!

Summary Table:

In our comparisons, each community was scored on 5 key metrics that provided comparable data on talent, research and costs. Here’s how each community ranks overall on each metric:

*Research output was not available for Detroit and Phoenix, so we substituted patents per capita.

**Software Engineer.

Matchup #1: Waterloo vs. Austin

Waterloo and Austin are both home to major Google offices, a globally-ranked university and a booming startup scene. Austin was even named ‘Waterloo, Texas’ when it was founded. This matchup made for the perfect kick off!

Matchup #2: Waterloo vs. Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh and Waterloo make for a good comparison. Our universities are known for excellence in computer science, have a thriving robotics and automation cluster and each community has a reputation for entrepreneurship.

Matchup #3: Waterloo vs. Columbus

Waterloo and Columbus both have booming startup activity that has attracted a steady growth in venture capital investment, talent coming out of a globally-ranked university and a collaborative tech environment.

Matchup #4: Waterloo vs. Salt Lake City

Waterloo and Salt Lake City have both seen dramatic transformations in their downtown cores, a healthy concentration of millennials that boast more tech degrees when compared to other major cities and are known for our lower cost of living.

Matchup #5: Waterloo vs. Detroit

Waterloo and Detroit’s similarities make for a good matchup. We both have a strong manufacturing industry, are home to major Google offices and a rapidly growing tech workforce.

Matchup #6: Waterloo vs. Phoenix

Waterloo and Phoenix share a handful of similarities. We are both home to a thriving talent pipeline, fueled by globally ranked universities, are known for our collaborative tech ecosystem and offer a relatively low cost of living.

Want more data and comparisons? Download our U.S. Tech Markets Comparison Guide

Connect with us today to learn more about Waterloo’s incredible tech ecosystem!

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