Metro area including North Jersey is top contender for Amazon HQ2, firm says

The metro area including North Jersey earned the top ranking among contenders seeking to become home to Amazon's second headquarters and the potential 50,000 workers it would employ, according to a research firm. The Anderson Economic Group, a Chicago-based research group focused on economics and public policy, ranked the New York metropolitan area as the top of the list, though it does have one main detractor, said spokesman Jason Horowitz. "Despite ending up dead last on the cost of doing business component of our index, no city can compete with its labor force, business services, and transportation infrastructure," Horowitz said. "If Amazon wants the talent pool, infrastructure, and services that a big city provides, New York (metro area) is very well-positioned to land HQ2." Amazon recently announced that the company is looking to open a second headquarters and dozens of cities quickly responded with plans to enter the running. Horowitz said the Philadelphia metro area, including portions of southern New Jersey, ranks seventh in its analysis largely on the strength of its transportation infrastructure, higher education sector, and businesses. In choosing its new location, Amazon is seeking metropolitan areas with more than one million people, a stable and business-friendly environment, urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent, and communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options. Christie to governor candidates: Help me land Amazon headquarters for N.J Other optional requirements for the second headquarters include an urban or downtown campus, a similar layout to Amazon's Seattle campus, and a development-prepped site. Princeton-based business location consultant John Boyd, however, told New Jersey 101.5 he considers Washington D.C. at the head of the pack, followed by Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and New Jersey. The Garden State has "one of the nation's premier labor markets" along with access to talent and research universities, he told the news outlet. New Jersey also has its fair share of challenges, such as the third highest housing costs in the nation after Hawaii and the District of Columbia. The Garden State also ranked 11th highest in the nation for overall cost of living in the first quarter of this year, according to a study of economic data. James Barrood, the president and CEO of the New Jersey Tech Council, has said there were still options for New Jersey. "The housing costs in many suburbs including down south are not too high especially for high income earners," he said. "Seattle housing is comparably priced according to neighbors who recently relocated here." Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us. nj.com/tips