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New Google site in Michigan


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Does Google have a policy that they only employ individuals that live within the city limits of their facility? Else, I don't know why you are comparing stats for the City of Ann Arbor proper with the stats for the City of Grand Rapids proper. If you included the outlying areas (suburbs and other nearby areas of commuters), you'd find the percentages far closer. Ann Arbor would still be higher, percentage-wise, but in sheer numbers, Grand Rapids would have more people with a Bachelor's degree or higher.

Given that, I don't disagree with Google's choice of location.

Not that it matters, but Washtenaw County alone has more residents with a Bachelor's Degree or higher than Kent County.

Kent County - 90,838 - 25.8% of people over 25.

Washtenaw County - 95,026 - 48.1% of people over 25.

That doesn't include any commuters from Livingston County, southeast Oakland County, and western Wayne County (where even more people with a Bachelor's Degree or higher live). Those three counties alone have 562,055 people with a Bachelor's Degree or higher. In fact, 54% (751,808) of all the people in Michigan who have a Bachelor's Degree or higher live within Washtenaw or adjacent counties. Compare that to Kent and adjacent counties, where only 12% (170,639) of the state's residents with a Bachelor's Degree or higher live.

Again, this isn't meant to be a jab at Grand Rapids, but rather to show you why most high tech companies are choosing to move to the Ann Arbor area over any other area in the state.

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Not that it matters, but Washtenaw County alone has more residents with a Bachelor's Degree or higher than Kent County.

Kent County - 90,838 - 25.8% of people over 25.

Washtenaw County - 95,026 - 48.1% of people over 25.

That doesn't include any commuters from Livingston County, southeast Oakland County, and western Wayne County (where even more people with a Bachelor's Degree or higher live). Those three counties alone have 562,055 people with a Bachelor's Degree or higher. In fact, 54% (751,808) of all the people in Michigan who have a Bachelor's Degree or higher live within Washtenaw or adjacent counties. Compare that to Kent and adjacent counties, where only 12% (170,639) of the state's residents with a Bachelor's Degree or higher live.

Again, this isn't meant to be a jab at Grand Rapids, but rather to show you why most high tech companies are choosing to move to the Ann Arbor area over any other area in the state.

Is UM really known for their "high-tech" degrees though? My understanding was UM was great for law, liberal studies, nursing, etc. and not so much for "techy" stuff. I think you'd really need to examine what the degrees are in. I don't think Google would be going after English majors with a minor in British Lit. And I don't mean this to be a jab @ AA or UM, it just seems that the degrees sought after wouldn't be the majority of UM degrees.

Or I could be way off base. Someone could enlighten me/us on UMs 'tech' programs.

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I have to believe that the local talent pool was not as big of a factor in their decision, contrary to what has been said in the media. A company like Google can pretty much get whoever they want from the entire nation, with people more than willing to relocate, especially if they're coming out of college.

I've no idea how they came to the overall decision to pick AA over the other cities they were considering. And don't take that the wrong way, Ann Arbor is my favorite city in the state. The competition, places like Boulder, Boston and Phoenix, was impressive and we're lucky that Google chose a location in Michigan period.

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Is UM really known for their "high-tech" degrees though? My understanding was UM was great for law, liberal studies, nursing, etc. and not so much for "techy" stuff. I think you'd really need to examine what the degrees are in. I don't think Google would be going after English majors with a minor in British Lit. And I don't mean this to be a jab @ AA or UM, it just seems that the degrees sought after wouldn't be the majority of UM degrees.

Or I could be way off base. Someone could enlighten me/us on UMs 'tech' programs.

University of Michigan's Computer Science Program is, at least, highly respected. Though I'm not sure if that matters as this complex will be for their advertising division.

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You can't just compare the University of Michigan to other colleges in the state. It is one of the most respected and renown universities in the world. Far and away more prestigious than anything else in Michigan, it would only make sense to see it's demographics as such. The only one that even comes close is Michigan State University.

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