St. Louis,
we have an opportunity.
The Oppor- tunity
This is an opportunity to help many great people in need and to also put our region back on a path toward growth and success.
The St. Louis region has a population crisis
Despite the news of the southern border and challenges in other cities, the reality in St. Louis could not be more different.
There are now more deaths than births in the region. Recent census data shows that St. Louis has dropped even further down the list of largest metro areas to 23rd place behind Charlotte and Orlando, respectively.
One challenge is that our region’s percentage of foreign-born residents is just 4.8%. It is estimated that the foreign-born percentage needs to be over 10% to keep up pace with other peer metro areas.
Why? Because immigrants and refugee families play a vital role in our region’s economic success. A recent analysis shows immigrant households in St. Louis last year earned $5.9 billion in income, paid $1.6 billion in taxes, and held $4.3 billion in spending power. They bring valuable skills and a drive to succeed for area businesses and are more likely to start businesses of their own.
