Almanac on Line
The 2007 Economic Development Almanac compiles an interesting variety of statistical information from a number of independent sources. Also added this year is the Small Business Start-up Guide produced in partnership with the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Illinois State University.
Demographics
The information contained in this section pertains to the population of McLean County and the municipal divisions contained within. The term 'demographics' refers to the makeup of the population, categorizes into age groups, sex and ethnic backgrounds. The projections contained within are current and based on the best estimations available to the Economic Development Council at the time of publication.
Economics
This section contains information regarding where the residents of McLean County work and the amount of money they make. It also includes the McLean County Economic Index, a special aggregate measure of our county's economy. The index was created for the EDC by the Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development at Illinois State University. Using the year 1990 as a baseline, the index tracks the local economy on a monthly basis to show trends in prosperity.
Quality of Life
The information contained in this section regards daily life in McLean County. It includes breakdowns on educational and recreational opportunities, consumer price indexes and housing issues. It also details the levels of crime in McLean County in comparison with other Illinois counties. Lastly, this section demonstrates the transportation and connectivity advantages of Bloomington-Normal.
The following section contains a guide to starting a business in McLean County. This guide was prepared by the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Illinois State University in conjunction with the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area. It outlines in detail the permits, costs, risks and rewards of owning and operating your own business. The guide and its appendix also suggest several different forms of assistance available through local, state and federal agencies. An index of business contacts follows the guide.
