Rochester, Minnesota aims to be the city of choice for remote workers
Rochester, Minnesota’s third-largest city, appears frequently on rankings of the country’s most livable cities. Factors such as civic engagement, affordable housing, a strong regional economy and great education options have helped the community stand out for years.
Now, Rochester is looking to build on that appeal by positioning itself as a great home for the post-pandemic workforce as many employees feel more freedom to choose their home untethered from their work locations.
“Rochester could become a city of choice for people who can work anywhere,” said Patrick Seeb, executive director of the Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency, known as DMC. “We don’t have the mountains of Bozeman or Boulder perhaps, but there are other things we do have that could become compelling to people, including being the front door of the number one hospital in the world.”
That hospital is the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. Rochester was founded in 1854 as a stagecoach stop, but soon welcomed the man who would largely determine its future, Dr. William Mayo. He arrived in 1863 as the examining surgeon for Union Army recruits. After the war, Mayo and his two sons grew their medical practice in the area, attracting doctors from all over the world to create an unmatched collaborative approach to disease and healing.
Rochester also is home to the largest public-private economic development partnership in Minnesota history with the DMC project. The $5.6 billion plan includes $585 million in funding from the state over 20 years, $3.5 billion pledged from the Mayo Clinic and an additional $2.1 billion in planned investments.
With Phase I accomplished, DMC has already reported creating more than 7,000 jobs and attracting nearly $10 of private investment for every $1 of public funds. With its first five years behind it, the DMC is charging ahead, rebounding from the pandemic and using it as an opportunity to further support innovation in the city.
A Great Opportunity for a Great City
Rochester is home to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, Minnesota’s largest employer and the worldwide leader in medicine.
Mayo Clinic generates more than $9.6 billion in economic impact to the State of Minnesota.
DMC is a significant opportunity to make Rochester a truly global destination for healing and wellness, drawing patients and visitors to Minnesota and stimulating additional growth of the state’s biosciences and technology sectors.
DMC will grow Rochester as a magnet community, attracting the most sophisticated health care professionals, promising students and thinkers, and educators from across the globe. DMC promotes Rochester and the State of Minnesota as a desirable location for new employers, keeping them—and the talent and jobs they bring—here.
DMC will position the city and region for economic prosperity for decades to come, expanding Rochester’s economic base with new businesses, jobs, and tax revenue.
