Working

• Regions
• Labor Force
• Population Characteristics
• Education Characteristics
• Employment By Industry
• Median Household Income
• Annual Unemployment Average
• Building Permits Issued

Regions

The City of Bloomington resides in Monroe County. The Bloomington, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area (Bloomington MSA) is defined by the United States Census Bureau as an area consisting of three Indiana counties—Monroe, Greene, and Owen.

As of the 2000 Census, the Bloomington MSA had a population of 175,506 (though a 2009 United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 185,598).

Stats Indiana provides a detailed profile of the Bloomington MSA and of Monroe County:

• View Monroe County Stats Indiana profile
• View Bloomington MSA Stats Indiana profile

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Labor Force

Labor Force, 2011

	Labor Force	Employment	Unemployment	Unemployment Rate	Employment Rate
Bloomington MSA	94,273	87,810	6,463	6.9%	93.1%
Economic Region 8	160,107	146,570	13,537	8.5%	91.5%
Monroe County	67,981	63,630	4,351	6.4%	93.6%

Data Source: Stats Indiana (May2011)

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Population Characteristics

Area Population

	2000	2009	2011	Tomorrow (2015)
Bloomington MSA	175,469	185,598	192,714	185,505
Monroe County	120,563	130,738	137,974	127,695

Data Source: Stats Indiana/Benchmarking Study/Census 2010

Age Distribution, 2009

	Bloomington MSA	Monroe County
Under 5	5.30%	5.10%
5 to 17	13.10%	11.50%
18 to 24	23.10%	29.50%
25 to 44	24.00%	23.9%
45 to 64	22.60%	19.6%
65 and over	11.90%	10.4%
Median Age		27.1

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Stats Indiana

Race and Ethnicity, 2009

	Bloomington MSA	Monroe County
White	92.40%	90%
Black	2.60%	3.50%
Asian	3.30%	4.50%
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.30%	0.30%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	0.00%	0.10%
Hispanic	2.00%	1.60%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Stats Indiana

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Education Characteristics

Education Attainment (Percent of Adults 25 +), 2000

	High School +	Bachelor's Deg. +
Bloomington MSA	84.55%	28.95%
Monroe County	88.5%	39.6%

Data Source: Stats Indiana

Educational Institutions Enrollment, Fall 2010

Institution	Enrollment
Indiana University-Bloomington	42,000
Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington	6,500

Data Source: Indiana University; Ivy Tech Community College

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Employment By Industry

Employment By Industry, 2011

Industry	Bloomington MSA*	Monroe County
Government	26,111	23,081
Health care and social assistance	9,156*	9,156
Retail Trade	10,244	8,145
Accommodation and food services	7,942*	7,231
Manufacturing	9,362	6,990
Other services	18,004*	4,409
Professional, scientific, technical services	5,184*	3,832
Construction	4,884	3,599
Wholesale trade	1,883*	1,731
Information	1,646*	1,574
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1,654*	1,545
Transportation and warehousing	1,680	1,014

* These totals do not include county data that are not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements..
Data Source:  Indiana Business Research Center, May 2011, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Median Household Income

Median Household Income, 2009

	Median Income
Bloomington MSA	$40,575
Monroe County	$45,427

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Factfinder; Stats Indiana

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Annual Unemployment Average

	2005	2006	2007*	2009	2011
Bloomington MSA	5.20&	4.60%	4.10%	7.00%	6.90%
Monroe County	4.70%	4.30%	4.00%	6.30%	6.40%

Data Source: Stats Indiana; Bureau of Labor Statistics (*2007 rate in August)

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Building Permits Issued

Building Permits Issued, 2010

	Single-Family	Multi-Family
Bloomington MSA	196	67
Monroe County	194	67

Data Source: Stats Indiana

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Learning

Want a learning community? We've got one. Expansion Magazine called Bloomington "one of the best public school values." With one of the best education systems in the Midwest, Bloomington offers award-winning learning institutions from pre-school all the way to a higher education.

Highly trained, dedicated teachers are the key to a promising future for your children. It is these committed professionals that allow Bloomington to maintain award-winning schools at the primary and secondary level. With 16 elementary schools, nine private schools, three middle schools and five high schools, Bloomington has the resources and educational staff to ensure that your children receive the education they deserve.

Learn more about education in Bloomington:

• K-12 Education
• Higher Education
• Education Statistics

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K-12 Education

For a listing of area schools, educational programs and other information, visit any of our school systems (links open in new tabs/windows):

• Bloomington Educates
• Monroe County Community School Corporation
• Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation
• Foundation for Monroe County Community Schools
• Harmony Education Center
• St. Charles Borromeo School
• Pinnacle School
• Light House Christian Academy

Bloomington New Tech High

New Tech High School (NTHS) is a public high school opening in fall 2008 in the MCCSC school district. NTHS is a project-based learning high school that features a smaller learning community (100 students per grade, total of 400 students maximum), a one-to-one student-computer ratio, a hands-on and collaborative learning environment and a relevant and rigorous 21st century curriculum. NTHS students will take advantage of the many opportunities presented by a rich higher education and business community by requiring students to complete 12 credit hours of higher education before graduation and to participate in internships.

Bloomington Early College

Bloomington Early College puts post-secondary education within reach of thousands of students every year. It is a specific kind of high school program designed to move students into college-level courses by their junior year in high school. The focus is a comprehensive series of courses that fit the CORE 40 requirements for high school graduation and related programs at Ivy Tech and Indiana University. The coursework includes the necessary math, technology and science classes to earn "dual-credit" toward both a high school diploma and a college degree. Qualified 21st Century Scholars do not pay college tuition.

Project Lead the Way (PLTW)

Local high schools offer students the opportunity to participate in this nationally acclaimed program designed to add rigor to traditional technical programs and relevance to traditional academics. PLTW's curricula make math and science relevant for students. By engaging in hands-on, real-world projects, students understand how the skills they are learning in the classroom can be applied in everyday life. MCCSC schools offer PLTW courses in engineering, engineering technology and biomedical fields. In fact, Bloomington science faculty has helped write the national curriculum for the biomedical program and serve as a pilot site.

The Arts

As the home of the world-renowned Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington schools benefit from a wealth of resources in the fine arts. From nationally recognized jazz programs at Bloomington High School North, exceptional show choirs like Sounds of South at Bloomington High School South and the Warehouse at Edgewood High School, to an enviable breadth in fine arts programming, Bloomington's students have opportunities often unavailable in elementary and secondary schools.

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Higher Education

In Bloomington, the associate, bachelor, MBA, Ph.D. or law degree you’ve always aspired to achieve is right at your fingertips. Our nationally ranked higher education institutions have an extended curriculum that can accommodate the educational and professional goals of any student.

Indiana University-Bloomington

Today, more than ever before, universities hold the key to ensuring our economic prosperity and quality of life. With 39,000 students on the Indiana University-Bloomington campus and 99,000 students on eight campuses across the state, Indiana University touches the lives of Hoosiers in thousands of ways.

• Indiana University is one of the nation's top learning institutions. With 100 degree programs ranked among the nation's top 20 and more than a half a million alumni nationwide, Indiana University provides students with the skills and education they need to succeed in their chosen profession.
• Indiana’s business community can tap into IU’s resources for assistance with business formation, strategic planning and acquisition of venture capital through IU’s new Office of Engagement.
• Indiana University is one of the largest and most diverse public research institutions in the United States. IU researchers are finding new ways to fight and cure disease, protect the environment and understand the complexities of the university. IU's research activities contribute significantly to the intellectual, cultural, social and economic vitality of the state. Over the last five years, IU brought in $2.1 billion in sponsored research funds — more than all of Indiana’s public and private research universities combined.
• IU campuses across the state enrich the lives of Indiana residents with cultural offerings ranging from art exhibits, theater, and dance to grand opera.

Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington

Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington offers degrees, convenient class schedules and online course options to accommodate traditional and nontraditional students. The campus recently exceeded enrollment of 5,000 students and Ivy Tech - Bloomington was named by “Community College Week” as the third fastest-growing community college in the nation for its size.

Ivy Tech-Bloomington is a partner with Indiana University in ensuring that students can seamlessly continue their education. Students can now begin the first two years of a wide variety of degrees, including six Liberal Arts degrees at Ivy Tech and go on to finish their bachelor’s degrees at IU. Currently, more than 425 total credits transfer from Ivy Tech-Bloomington to IU.

Ivy Tech is committed to advancing life science initiatives in the Bloomington area. In an award-winning partnership, Ivy Tech-Bloomington and Monroe County Government have joined together to build the Indiana Center for the Life Sciences. This facility will accommodate the needs of local students and life science employees, and the Center will allow Ivy Tech to continue to fulfill workforce needs in the community.

Indiana Center for the Life Sciences

The Indiana University Life Sciences Initiative will strengthen IU existing life sciences effort. IU expects to spend $375.5 million on life sciences in the coming biennium. Already we are building valuable life sciences partnerships with Purdue, Notre Dame and other state universities, as well as the private sector. To learn more about the Indiana Life Sciences Initiative, visit: lifesciences.iu.edu.

Innovate Indiana is the name for Indiana University’s efforts to channel the university’s vast resources to strengthen the Hoosier economy. The Office of the Vice President for Engagement is the central point of contact for Innovate Indiana. To learn more about the Innovate Indiana initiative, visit: innovate.indiana.edu.

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Education Statistics

Intentions of Monroe County High School Graduates, 2004-2005

Educational Attainment: BA or Higher, Indiana Peers

Educational Attainment: BA or Higher, U.S. Peers

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Establishing a life in Bloomington is as easy as living it. Take a step away from the stress of escalating housing costs and discover a variety of affordable housing options in Bloomington. Whether you're a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned homeowner, Bloomington's strong and active housing market has homes for people of nearly all income levels.

Come home to Bloomington! Visit the following resources for assistance with your move to Bloomington:

Homefinder.org — from the Bloomington Board of Realtors is the most complete source for real estate listings for Bloomington, Monroe County, Owen County, and South Central Indiana. The Homefinder MLS is your online guide for buying, selling, investing in real estate, or relocating to Bloomington, Indiana.

• Real Estate Finder, www.realtor.com
• Apartment Guide, www.apartmentguide.com
• Relocation Wizard, www.homefair.com/wizard
• Salary Calculator, www.monstermoving.com/Relosmart

To learn more about housing and neighborhoods within the City of Bloomington, visit the City's Housing & Neighborhoods portal.

Get the support of private and public partnerships that work together with leaders in government, community and business to secure local, state and federal assistance to help you succeed in Bloomington.

Grow your business in Bloomington with:

• Tax Credits
• Workforce Training
• Grants
• Local Assistance
• Tax Abatement
• Loans
• Foreign Trade Zone

To learn about incentives available for your project, please contact the BEDC.

Tax Credits

Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE): a refundable tax credit program that rewards companies creating jobs and contributing to the growth of Indiana's economy. EDGE credits are calculated as a percentage of payroll tax withholding for net new Indiana jobs. EDGE credits may be awarded for a period of up to 10 years. Learn more

Hoosier Business Investment Tax Credit (HBI): This program encourages capital investment in Indiana by providing a credit against a company's Indiana tax liability. The credit amount is based on a company's qualified capital investment with the final credit amount determined by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, based on an analysis of the economic benefits of the proposed investment. Learn more

Community Revitalization Tax Credit: This program encourages capital investment and jobs creation within a Community Revitalization Enhancement District (CRED). The credit toward a taxpayer's state and local income tax liability and is 25 percent of the qualified investment made by the taxpayer within the CRED. The City of Bloomington operates two of these districts, one in the downtown area and the other in a growing employment center.

View the City of Bloomington's downtown CRED

View the City of Bloomington's Thomson CRED

Headquarters Relocation Tax Credit: When a business relocates its corporate headquarters (defined as the location of the principal office of the principal executives) to Indiana, it is entitled to a credit against its state tax liability equal to half of the costs incurred in relocating the headquarters. A company must have worldwide annual revenue of at least $100 million to qualify. Learn more

Venture Capital Investment Tax Credit: The Venture Capital Investment Tax Credit was established to improve access to capital to fast-growing Indiana companies by providing individual and corporate investors an additional incentive to invest in early stage firms. Investors who provide qualified debt or equity capital to Indiana companies receive a credit against their Indiana income tax liability. Learn more

Industrial Recovery Tax Credit: The Industrial Recovery tax credit provides an incentive for companies to invest in facilities requiring significant rehabilitation or remodeling expense. After a building has been designated as an industrial recovery site, companies may be eligible for a tax credit calculated as a percentage of qualified rehabilitation expense. Learn more

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Workforce Training

Skills Enhancement Fund: The Skills Enhancement Fund (SEF) provides financial assistance to businesses committed to training their workforce. Trainees must be Indiana residents. SEF reimburses eligible training expenses over a two-year term. Companies may reapply for additional SEF funds after their initial two-year term. Companies can receive reimbursement ? up to $200,000 ? for retraining existing workers. Supplemental grant awards may be available for training new employees. Learn more

Technology Enhancement Certification for Hoosiers (TECH): The Technology Enhancement Certification for Hoosiers (TECH) Fund is a reimbursement grant program designed to help companies meet the demands of the new IT economy by increasing the number of certified information technology workers in Indiana. Learn more

Training Acceleration Grant (TAG): TAG provides financial assistance to companies and organizations committed to expanding the skills of their existing workforce through training that result in a transferable and industry-recognized credential. The TAG may be awarded in amounts up to $200,000 for terms of two years or less. Learn more

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Grants

21st Century Research and Technology Fund: The Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund was created to stimulate the process of diversifying the State's economy by developing and commercializing advanced technologies in Indiana. Learn more

Industrial Development Grant Fund: This grant provides money to local governments for off-site infrastructure projects associated with an expansion of an existing Indiana company or the location of a new facility in Indiana. State funding through the IDGF program must be matched by a combination of local government and company financial support. Learn more

Small Business Innovation Research Initiative: The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and its sister program, the Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR), are highly competitive and encourage small businesses to explore their technological potential. SBIR/STTR funding is available from 11 participating agencies throughout the United States and focuses on various technological areas. Learn more

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Local Assistance

Community Revitalization Enhancement District (CRED): The CRED allows the City of Bloomington to capture increased sales and income tax dollars, generated by new investment within the CRED, to use for economic development purposes. These revenues have been used for infrastructure improvements or to reimburse capital investments made by businesses developing within the CRED. The City of Bloomington operates two of these districts, one in the downtown area and the other in a growing employment center.

View the City of Bloomington's downtown CRED

View the City of Bloomington's Thomson CRED

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Tax Abatement

The City of Bloomington and Monroe County have elected to provide tax abatement for both new and existing companies that are creating jobs, retaining jobs and making a new investment in real and/or personal property. Under state law, local governments have the option of granting tax abatement for up to 10 years. On average, tax abatement can provide nearly 50 percent savings from property taxes over the life of the abatement.

Incentives within the Urban Enterprise Zone: View an enterprise zone map

Enterprise Zone Investment Deduction (EZID): The EZID is a 79 percent, 10-year deduction on the increased property taxes resulting from the increased property value within the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Zone (BUEZ) following a qualified investment.

Investment Cost Credit: An individual purchasing an ownership interest in a Zone business may be eligible to receive a tax credit of up to 30 percent of the purchase price.

Loan Interest Credit: A taxpayer may take a credit of 5 percent of the interest income received from a qualified loan made to a Zone business or resident. The loan must apply to purposes directly related to the business or increase the assessed value of real property in the Zone.

Tax Increment Financing: Monroe County is home to some of the most successful Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts in Indiana. The City of Bloomington and Monroe County have invested millions on infrastructure improvements to help companies grow and create jobs. Exciting opportunities are on the horizon of Monroe County's newest TIF located at the corner of Highway 37 and Highway 46.

View the City of Bloomington's TIF districts

View a map of Monroe County's TIF districts

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Loans

Tax-exempt Bonds: These debt instruments, often called Private Activity Bonds, Industrial Revenue Bonds or Industrial Development Bonds, are issued by state or local governmental entities for the benefit of a private company, usually manufacturers. Interest on the bonds is generally exempt from federal income taxes for investors, which typically results in lower long-term interest rates to the borrower. Learn more

Loan Guaranty Program: Indiana's economic development agency, the IEDC, can provide a loan guaranty to a lender for the benefit of a high-growth/high-skilled company, manufacturer, rural development project, value-added agricultural enterprise or another type of business that creates or retains a significant number of Hoosier jobs. Learn more

Capital Access Program: The Capital Access Program (CAP) is a small business credit enhancement program that creates a specific cash reserve fund for the lender to use as additional collateral for loans enrolled in the Program. CAP allows lenders to consider loans that might not meet conventional lending requirements. Learn more

Foreign Trade Zone

The FTZ program helps American companies improve their competitive position versus their counterparts abroad. The FTZ program allows U.S.-based companies to defer, reduce or even eliminate Customs duties on products admitted to the zone. Learn More

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Airports

Indianapolis International Airport

The Indianapolis International Airport (Airport Code: IND) serves approximately 8.5 million passengers on 11 major airlines each year. Indianapolis International Airport is one of the world's largest cargo airports (eighth in the United States, 21st worldwide). The airport offers nonstop access to top U.S. cities and "one-stop" access to the world on an average 175 daily flights to 40 destinations from a new that opened . For more information, visit www.indianapolisairport.com.

Monroe County Airport

Monroe County Airport (Airport Code: BMG) is a county-owned public-use airport located three miles southwest of Bloomington's central business district. Our community’s aviation facility provides convenient access for private, corporate, and chartered commercial aircraft operations.

The airport’s 6,500 foot runway will easily accommodate your business needs, and with nearly 50,000 annual operations, local and transient businesses utilize the air traffic control services, precision instrument landing systems, automated weather services, and full service Fixed Base Operators. For more information, visit www.airnav.com/airport/BMG.

Rail

The Indiana Rail Road Company is a Class 2 regional freight railroad operating on a 500-mile route structure of former Milwaukee Road and Illinois Central lines in Indiana and Illinois, including terminals at Chicago, Indianapolis, Terre Haute and Louisville.

Annual car loadings approach 170,000 and include coal, petroleum products, plastics, ethanol, grain, aggregates, lumber, appliances and other mixed freight. For more information, visit www.inrd.com.

Interstate Access

Construction of I-69 in southwest Indiana began on July 13, 2008. Today, I-69 connects Indianapolis with the Canadian border at Port Huron, Michigan/Sarnia, Ontario. While it only passes through two states now, I-69 is an important link between the lower Midwest and the most populous provinces of Canada. However, current plans will extend I-69 much further.

The I-69 extension will connect three different border crossings in Texas (Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville) to I-465 in Indianapolis; from there, traffic will continue over the existing I-69 and other freeways (such as U.S. 127 and U.S. 24 to border crossing in Detroit, Port Huron or Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Approximately 1,600 miles of freeway (including the three Texas branches) will be added to existing I-69 when it is completed.

Navigable Inland Ports

Indiana ranks 6th in U.S. waterborne shipping and 13th for foreign and domestic shipping with about 70 million tons of cargo per year. More than half of Indiana's border is water, which includes 400 miles of direct access to two major freight transportation arteries - the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway and the Inland Waterway System. The Ports of Indiana is self-funded enterprise that operates a system of three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan for the state of Indiana.

Access to Indiana ports:

• Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville: 100m

• Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon: 168m

• Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor: 210m

For more information, visit www.portsofindiana.com.

City of Bloomington Economic Development Areas

Bloomington Economic Development Areas

View as GIF [49 KB]

View as PDF [560.87 KB]

Downtown Economic Development Areas

View as GIF [76.59 KB]

View as PDF [637.13 KB]

Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD)

View as GIF [116.88 KB]

View as PDF [145.79 KB]

Bloomington Urban Enterprise Zone (BUEZ)

View as GIF [121.29 KB]

View as PDF [974.54 KB]

Certified Technology Park (CTP)

View as GIF [136.21 KB]

View as PDF [836.66 KB]

Community Revitalization and Enhancement Districts (CRED)

Downtown CRED:

Thomson CRED:

Bloomington Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts

View as GIF [42.12 KB]

View as PDF [448.69 KB]

Monroe County Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts

View as PDF [423 KB]

Interactive Maps

Additional Map Resources

• Monroe County, Indiana GIS
• City of Bloomington Interactive Map
• State of Indiana Major Highways, Ports, and Airports Map [PDF, 2.0 MB]
• I-69 Evansville to Indianapolis Route Map [PDF, 612 KB]
• City of Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Maps [PDF, 1.90 MB]
• City of Bloomington 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan maps [PDF, 1.66 MB]