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!
Related articles:
- Waterloo tops CBRE list of North American emerging tech talent markets
- Waterloo ranks #1 for tech talent quality in new CBRE report
- Four ways Waterloo provides unrivaled access to a global market
- UWaterloo ranks #1 in Canada for computer science and engineering
- Waterloo companies claim top two spots on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50