Northwest Arkansas emerges as top US economy
News related to:Encore Economics · 1 min read
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 6, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Northwest Arkansas has risen to become the nation's best-performing economy, according to a new report from Emeraude and Encore Economics.
The report highlights the distinctive economic landscape of Northwest Arkansas, which includes major Fortune 500 corporations, the University of Arkansas as the state's premier research institution, a concentration of food and protein industries, advanced logistics capabilities, and a developing startup ecosystem. This transformation over the past three decades has been remarkable.
Ross DeVol, the founder of Encore Economics, led the development of the metrics underpinning "America's Best-Performing Cities" at the Milken Institute and relocated to Northwest Arkansas in late 2017. He expressed his hope to continue providing strategic economic development guidance to the region and aid others across the nation.
The report emphasizes the importance of economic diversification for Northwest Arkansas to retain its top position. It suggests bolstering the region's startup ecosystem through founder support and more early-stage investment funding, developing the talent pipeline in STEM fields and through workforce development focused on career technical education, and investing in medical research and healthcare to create a new industry cluster.
The full report can be accessed here.