LOS ANGELES — Tech talent clustering is a growing driver of demand for office space in both large and small markets across the U.S., according to a new CBRE Research report, “Scoring Tech Talent,” which ranks 50 U.S. markets according to their ability to attract and grow tech talent.
Atlanta ranks as number 10 on the overall tech talent list, and has the lowest apartment rents, cost of living, occupancy costs and overall cost of doing business when compared with the other cities in the top 10 (Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Francisco Peninsula, New York, Seattle, Boston, Baltimore and Austin).
While established tech markets like San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Seattle dominated the top spots on the “Tech Talent Scorecard,” many smaller, up-and-coming markets stood out as top “momentum markets” based on tech talent growth rates.
Oklahoma City and Nashville had tech talent growth rates of 39 percent between 2010 and 2013, higher than Seattle (38 percent) and just below that of San Francisco (44 percent) and Baltimore (42 percent). Portland, Ore., and Charlotte both saw tech talent growth rates of 28 percent, outpacing well-known tech markets like Austin (26.5 percent), Silicon Valley (20.8 percent) and Los Angeles (13.6 percent). Atlanta’s talent growth rate from 2010-2013 was 21.2 percent, making it the sixth fastest growing market out of the top 10.
“Tech talent growth rates are the best indicator of labor pool momentum and it’s easily quantifiable to identify the markets where demand for tech workers has surged,” says Colin Yasukochi, director of research and analysis for Los Angeles-based CBRE. “Tech talent growth, primarily within the high-tech industry, has recently been the top driver of office leasing activity in the U.S.”
Though tech talent comprises only 3.4 percent of the total U.S. workforce (4.4 million workers), the high-tech industry accounted for more major U.S. office leasing activity than any sector in both 2013 (13.6 percent) and 2014 (19.0 percent), according to the report.
With Atlanta’s educational attainment rate of 46.8 percent, a figure measuring the percentage of individuals at least 25 years old with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the lowest overall cost of living and cost of doing business, the city’s tech attraction momentum is expected to continue upward.
“For the past two years, the high-tech industry has not only spurred the economy as a whole, but it has been the top driver of commercial office activity, influencing rents and vacancy in major markets across the U.S., including Atlanta,” says Christian Devlin, who leads CBRE’s tech and media practice in Atlanta. “Over half of my tech clients are projecting headcount growth over the next 12-24 months. I’m seeing just as much, if not more, organic growth from Atlanta-based technology companies as we are seeing from out-of-town tech companies opening offices here.”
The top 10 large markets on the Tech Talent Scorecard (identified as markets with a talent pool above 50,000 tech professionals) were:
1. Silicon Valley, Calif.
2. Washington, D.C.
3. San Francisco, Calif.
4. San Francisco Peninsula, Calif.
5. New York, N.Y.
6. Seattle, Wash.
7. Boston, Mass.
8. Baltimore, Md.
9. Austin, Texas
10. Atlanta, Ga.
Dallas, Orange County, Chicago and Raleigh-Durham took the 11, 12, 13 and 14 spots on the list before a small market — defined as a market with a tech talent labor pool of less than 50,000 — made its way onto the list. The top-ranked small markets included:
15. Oakland, Calif.
16. Edison, N.J.
23. Columbus, Ohio
25. Salt Lake City, Utah
26. Portland, Ore.
27. Newark, N.J.
29. Long Island, N.Y.
30. Kansas City, Mo.
31. Charlotte, N.C.
33. Cincinnati, Ohio
The report also looked at which markets present the greatest cost for occupiers based on wages paid to employees and rent paid for office space.
CBRE Research combined these two costs for a “typical” 500-person tech firm needing 75,000 square feet of office space for each market and found that, for large markets, Silicon Valley is the highest cost and Detroit is the lowest cost. For smaller markets, Oakland is the highest cost and Oklahoma City is the lowest cost.
The CBRE report also identified various characteristics that are shared by tech talent markets:
- Gender Diversity: The U.S. average breakdown for tech talent occupations is 76.2 percent male and 23.8 percent female. Half of tech talent markets have a greater concentration of women in these occupations when compared with the U.S. average, but the numbers are still imbalanced. The most gender-diverse tech talent market is Philadelphia, where females occupy 31 percent of tech talent occupations.
- Education: Nearly 75 percent of the top 50 tech talent markets have an educational attainment rate above the national average. New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles topped the list for the most tech degrees completed in a two-year period. When it comes to small markets, Columbus was the standout in this area, besting large markets like Dallas/Fort Worth and Philadelphia in the number of tech degrees completed in the last two years. These numbers are an indication of future tech talent growth.
- Millennials: The presence of millennials in the workforce has contributed to the growth of tech talent labor pools. In Boston, millennials make up more than 25 percent of the total population. In Washington, D.C., the millennial population has increased by 26.5 percent since 2009.
“Though highly concentrated within the high-tech services industry, tech talent is not limited to any one type of company and can be found across all industry sectors,” says Yasukochi. “In fact, more than 60 percent of tech talent jobs are located outside of the core high-tech industry and these workers help generate innovation and advances that can boost the whole economy, including the commercial real estate market.”
To view the interactive report, please visit www.cbre.com/techtalent2015.