The Resilient Dashboard
Investing in resilient infrastructure, fostering strong relationships between businesses and the economic development network, and having tools and programs in place to help people and companies withstand economic downturns is key to long-term economic progress for the region.
What does it mean to have a resilient, vibrant economy?
A vibrant economy is forward-looking, helps address the core needs of businesses as they grow and innovate, and helps companies to understand why a market is a good, predictable, and safe place for long-term investment.
Why is resilience important to a vibrant economy?
Resilience helps us think about our competitiveness relative to infrastructure investments over time. It has a direct impact on our ability to cultivate a talented and diverse workforce and helps companies think differently about the future. It also helps people and companies withstand economic downturns.
Resilient Dashboard > Natural Disasters
NEO Progress
Northeast Ohio has a low risk for natural disasters. The Great Lakes region experiences fewer tornadoes than Tornado Alley, is distant from major seismic zones, and is geographically sheltered from direct Atlantic hurricane impacts. NEO had zero natural disasters from 2018-2022, making it an attractive location for businesses with low risk tolerance to invest.
Regional Initiatives
Tracked Metrics
Official incidents classified as a major disaster declaration by the U.S. President. Examples of natural disasters include a hurricane, tornado, storm, earthquake, high water, etc. Knowledge of the potential threat of natural disasters is pertinent to businesses’ tolerance for risk when evaluating whether to move operations to a new area. (Source: FEMA.gov)
Resilient Dashboard > Industrial Vacancy
NEO Progress
While Northeast Ohio’s industrial development market has recovered from its high vacancy rates during the pandemic, it has also dropped from 3.4% to 3% since 2018, revealing a tighter sites market, which may challenge growth. To benchmark, the overall vacancy rate in the U.S. was at 6.7% in Q4 2024, after seeing the slowest pace of growth in two years. (Source: Cushman & Wakefield MarketBeat Insights)
Regional Initiatives
Team NEO, through its RightSites Council, is working with real estate professionals to redevelop and build new modern inventory. Since 2021, Team NEO has supported the creation of nearly 5 million square feet of building space and 3,000 acres of new industrial sites to the region.
Tracked Metrics
The percentage of vacant industrial space available in a market. The rate can be an indicator of the temperature of the broader economy as it is affected by inflation and construction activity. For example, there may be higher vacancy rates when inflation is high and industrial construction is low. A healthy economy has an industrial vacancy rate around 8%. (Source: Cushman & Wakefield MarketBeat Insights)
Resilient Dashboard > Direct Flights
NEO Progress
Business connectivity and travel access are staple aspects to a thriving economy, and Northeast Ohio is growing its number of direct flights. As of 2022, NEO has 164 direct flights out, making an additional two more direct flights since tracking began in 2018.
Regional Initiatives
NEO has two large airports, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Akron-Canton Airport. Cleveland Hopkins saw a record-breaking number of passengers in 2024 and plans to expand further. Akron-Canton received $3.2 million from the state of Ohio in 2024 for infrastructure upgrades and to develop new hangars for potential tenants to base.
Tracked Metrics
Nonstop trips from one city to the next. Having access to multiple direct flights can be a measure of how interconnected and easily accessible a region is to other regions. (Source: Bureau of Transportation T-100 Segment)
Resilient Dashboard > Air Quality Index
NEO Progress
Air Quality is a basic necessity for the health of people living and working in the region. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) in 2022 was 39.88, an improvement from 2018’s value of 40.5. This air quality level is considered “good”, and the levels of pollution pose little or no risk.
Regional Initiatives
Tracked Metrics
“The U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) is EPA’s tool for communicating about outdoor air quality and health. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. For example, an AQI value of 50 or below represents good air quality, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.” (Source: AirNow & U.S. EPA Air Quality Index Report)
Resilient Dashboard > Population Without Insurance
NEO Progress
Access to health insurance is vital to keeping the population healthy. Since 2018, Northeast Ohio has seen a slight decline in the percentage of population without insurance.
Regional Initiatives
Tracked Metrics
Measures the percentage of a region’s population covered by any form of health insurance. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year Data)
Resilient Dashboard > Fuel Stations
NEO Progress
From 2018-2022, the number of alternative fuel stations in Northeast Ohio nearly tripled, with a large increase post-pandemic. This growth has mainly been fueled by electric vehicle (EV) charging stations which made up almost 80% of Northeast Ohio’s alternative fuel stations in 2022.
Regional Initiatives
Tracked Metrics
Alternative fuel stations provide fuel for vehicles that use fuel other than gasoline or diesel. Alternative fuels tracked in this metric include biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electric, ethanol, hydrogen, liquified natural gas, propane, and renewable diesel. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy)
Explore more now.
Each pillar plays a critical role in shaping Northeast Ohio’s economy—but they don’t stand alone. See how talent and equity are connected, how innovation supports resilience, and how all four build competitiveness and prosperity.
Unlock the Data. Shape the Future.
With over 600 data points tracking talent, equity, innovation, resilience, competitiveness, and prosperity, the Vibrant Economy Indicators tool empowers business leaders, policymakers, educators, and economic developers to make informed, strategic decisions.
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Thank you for your interest in the Team NEO Vibrant Economy Indicators data. The economic data has been compiled and calculated by Team NEO. When sharing publicly, please reference: “Data sourced from Team NEO, www.TeamNEO.org, ©2025.”