Real GDP increased in 282 of the nation’s 381 metropolitan areas in 2014, led by growth in several industry groups: professional and business services, wholesale and retail trade, and the group of finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing. Natural resources and mining remained a strong contributor to growth in several metropolitan areas. Collectively, real GDP for U. S. metropolitan areas increased 2.3 percent in 2014 after increasing 1.9 percent in 2013.
Professional and business services contributed 0.61 percentage point to U.S. metropolitan area real GDP growth in 2014. This industry contributed to growth in 314 of the nation’s 381 metropolitan areas. Growth in this industry accounted for more than half of real GDP growth in 49 metropolitan areas, and contributed more than one percentage point to growth in 28 metropolitan areas, most notably in Midland, MI (4.56 percentage points) and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA (2.05 percentage points).
Wholesale and retail trade contributed 0.34 percentage point to U.S. metropolitan area real GDP growth in 2014. This industry contributed to growth in 323 metropolitan areas and contributed more than one percentage point to growth in 16 metropolitan areas. The largest contributions from this industry occurred in Battle Creek, MI (2.85 percentage points) and Mobile, AL (1.96 percentage point).
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