The ten largest US central business districts

Central business districts serve as a magnet for economic growth and employment. The following is an overview of the top 10 largest CBDs in the country.

Office News (offices.net) breaks down the ten largest Central Business Districts in the USA.

1. New York City

New York City’s CBD is the largest in the country and covers a large area in Midtown and downtown Manhattan. The city’s CBD contains more than 500 million square feet of commercial real estate and several residential neighborhoods. According to the US Census Bureau, New York’s CBD has a permanent population of approximately 1.6 million people. Key industries include finance, banking, retail, hospitality, tourism, and business services.

2. Chicago

Chicago’s central business district (also known as The Loop) occupies an area of 1.58 square miles. The Loop is a densely populated area and has a total commercial real estate inventory of nearly 160 million square feet, which account for 45 percent of the city’s total supply. More than 300,000 people work in the CBD, mainly in sectors like professional, scientific and technical services, finance and insurance, admin support, healthcare, and food services.

3. Los Angeles

Downtown Los Angeles is made up of 15 districts, although the business core lies between the Financial District, Historic Core, and Old Bank District. In recent years, the Bunker Hill area has also emerged as an important business destination within the city’s CBD. There are more than 32 million square feet of commercial real estate in downtown Los Angeles, and population density remains relatively low at under 5,000 / square mile. Important industries include technology, media, creative, transportation, leisure and entertainment, and the arts.