Wisconsin for the last 20 years was a deeply red state and has low taxes that never favored tech. However recently a modern government in Wisconsin has prioritized massive incentives for small businesses and sheltered tax based on originating income (which state the sale happens in). They also changed the permitting process to build apartments for affordable density and a high speed rail to UW Madison, which, has a huge engineering and business school. One of the best in the country. Texas government is anti tech and over the next 10-15 years the summers will get hotter while the winters get more unbearable. How many rolling blackouts does Austin need before it becomes unreasonable to stick around in? The Midwest is going to become deeply desirable to live in because of access to clean drinking water, and balanced weather because of lake effect balancing in weather. I believe that Milwaukee has the biggest opportunity to be the next Austin because of cost of living, a city incentivizing launching startups and favoring revenue tax deductions. Companies can easily recruit from big10 schools for eng and business if they have a Milwaukee base. No it wonât replace sf bay or nyc, but thereâs a lot of cost benefits in Milwaukee that Austin played into over the last 10 years for tech expansion. Columbus tried to follow this model but Ohio really sucks.
Weather sucks too much. Hard to see any Midwest city being the next Austin. Kansas City and Louisville are probably the only shot. Personally I like South Carolina or Tennessee to take that title
South Carolina has the same weather risks for long term growth in my opinion. Hurricanes are already common. What happens in 5 years? Nashville has tried to appeal to tech, and is having a huge growth of building. I can see that too but thereâs no good engineering school locally.
Winters unbearable in Austin lmao are u joking . The winters are great in Austin.
I agree, itâs a lovely city and itâs proximity to Chicago is a cherry on top
Milwaukee had its chance during the manufacturing heydays of the 50âs to 70âs. Its 2024 now and the entire state has had a depressed economy for the past 40 years. Have you been to Milwaukee? Nothing there mate. Madison is the only place in that state worth anything. Rest is your typical midwestern bore towns that suck to live for 8 months of the year. Summers in WI are humid af and the bugs get you real bad.
Same story as Austin 10-15 years ago though. Austin was a small town with nothing going on surrounded by Texas farm and sprawl. I see a lot of economic focused improvements coming out of Wisconsin in the last 3 years after everyone voted out Paul Ryan cronies. It takes time. I donât believe next year weâll see a boom town, but 10 year window has something
Austin wasnât a âsmall townâ 15 years ago haha where do you get your data from? SXSW was a huge event by 2008.
Okay Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce
Who wants to live where the weather sucks that bad
Sounds interesting
Itâs difficult to build an ecosystem of venture capital + founders + workers in one place. Silicon beach, silicon slopes have been trying for decades and still havenât gotten any traction. Milwaukeeâs chances donât look good.
And the snow? Not sure that will be desired by co and people as the utility costs will be $$$
Why not Madison?
Madison doesnât have the infra to grow a business, but I could see it. Columbus and Austin do that direct feeder of building around the best school in the state. It is an hour drive. Thatâs the distance of Berkeley to palo alto. I can see the limiting elements
𤣠how far is stanford from palo alto lets hear it đ