United States — Regional Market Index

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---
schema: foundry-doc-v1
title: "United States — Regional Market Index"
slug: atlas-united-states
category: markets
type: topic
content_type: topic
quality: stub
status: active
audience: customer-woodfine
bcsc_class: current-fact
language_protocol: PROSE-TOPIC
keynote: false
last_edited: 2026-06-29
editor: woodfine-editorial
short_description: "Ranked index of US regional commercial real estate markets meeting co-location screening thresholds across all major census regions."
paired_with: markets/atlas-united-states.es.md
---

The **United States regional market index** ranks US cities and metropolitan statistical
areas outside major-metro central business districts that meet the population, disposable
income, and retail infrastructure thresholds established by the [[about-regional-markets|co-location
regional market framework]]. The United States contains the highest concentration of qualifying
regional markets in the [[atlas-top-600-north-america|TOP600 North America]] index: the country's
size and economic geography produce hundreds of metropolitan areas in the 50,000–500,000
population range with high disposable income and established power centre investment.

## National context

The United States regional commercial real estate market is characterised by pronounced
regional income variation, deep national retail penetration, and a well-developed suburban
power centre format that provides consistent site infrastructure across most qualifying markets.
Unlike Canada and European comparables, the US market operates without federal land-use
planning constraints, resulting in uniform power centre development across income-qualified
markets in all fifty states.

The primary screening signals — Costco warehouse clubs, Home Depot and Lowe's home-improvement
stores, Walmart and Target general merchandise superstores — are present in virtually every US
market above 80,000 population that clears the household income threshold, providing a
consistent and reliable income signal.

## Census region coverage

**South** — the largest contributing region. Markets spanning the Southeast (Florida's I-4
corridor, the Carolinas, and Tennessee's secondary cities), the Gulf Coast (Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana beyond New Orleans), and Texas outside the primary Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San
Antonio, and Austin metros.

**Midwest** — strong representation in Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.
Many Midwestern markets exhibit income profiles consistent with national retail investment
despite moderate median household incomes, reflecting low cost-of-living adjustments and
strong manufacturing employment bases.

**West** — markets in the Intermountain West (Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada outside Las Vegas)
and the Pacific Northwest outside the Seattle–Tacoma and Portland primary metros. Mountain
resort communities are assessed separately given their atypical income composition.

**Northeast** — targeted coverage of markets outside the primary megalopolis corridor.
Qualifying markets in upstate New York, Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia and Pittsburgh,
Connecticut, and New Hampshire.

## Sample markets

| Market | State | Population range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins | Colorado | 350,000–400,000 | CSU anchored; high income; established power centre base |
| Greenville–Spartanburg | South Carolina | 900,000–1,000,000 | Bi-city metro; BMW manufacturing employment |
| Madison | Wisconsin | 670,000–700,000 | State capital + university; strong income |
| Provo–Orem | Utah | 650,000–700,000 | Tech employment anchor; strong income growth |
| Spokane | Washington | 570,000–600,000 | Inland Pacific Northwest hub; regional retail centre |

## See also

- [[atlas-top-600-north-america]] — the North American master index
- [[about-regional-markets]] — the co-location methodology and market selection criteria