Bloomington, Twin Cities Relocation

Bloomington: City of Hospitality

Bloomington, which was named after Bloomington, Illinois, is a dynamic urban center in Hennepin County that is connected to the city of Minneapolis through the light rail transit. It is the State of Minnesota’s fourth largest city and forms the third core city with Miinneapolis and St. Paul.

It is a housing boom suburb which was established after World War II.  Despite its reputation of being a bedroom community consisting of traditional middle class families living in single-family homes and upper-tier households living in condominiums and apartments, Bloomington has a healthy environment with lots of parks and open spaces courtesy of the Minneapolis Parks System and the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Majority of the residents of Bloomington commute to nearby cities for work but the city also has a thriving economy.  It used to be the base of the Twin Cities major league baseball, hockey and football teams but has developed into a magnet for the hospitality and retail industries.  The city is home to Seagate, Toro and Ceridian companies.

History

Bloomington’s first European settlers are Peter and Louisa Quinn.  Both were sent by the government to teach the modern farming methods to Native Americans in the area.  They were followed by missionary Gideon Pond who introduced church services, farming and schooling in the area.

The territory where Bloomington belonged to was opened to settlers in 1851 and among those who first settled in the area were the families of Whalon, Ames and Goodrich.  They named the area “Bloomington” which means flowering field, from the city where they came from.

The town of Bloomington was incorporated on May 11, 1858, the same day when the state of Minnesota officially became a state and was admitted to the union.  The city’s population has reached 820 by 1880 and has grown to a thousand in the 1900s.  The years 1940 to 1960 saw a rapid population increase and along with that came the city’s plan for housing facilities that are low-cost and low-density.

It was in 1952 when Toro Manufacturing Company, moved to the city.  It was then considered the largest business in the city. Bloomington became a city in 1960 and the years after that saw a rapid growth in the city’s business and other affairs including the construction of the Metropolitan Stadium in 1956.  The city became home to Minnesota’s major sports team like the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Twins

Community Profile

Bloomington has 85,172 residents and 36,400 households as of the 2000 Census.  A large portion of its residents or 88.12% are Whites, followed by Asians (5.09%), African Americans (3.42%) and other races.

It has a mature population with an average age of 40 years.  Of the entire population, 15.7% were 65 years old or older while 20.6% are below 18 years old.

Bloomington families have an average income of $67,135 which is evident of the comfortable economic status of the residents.  The city has a per capita income of $29,782 but 4.2% of the population is living below poverty level.

Business

Bloomington’s hospitality industry is booming with over 7000 hotel rooms to cater to locals and visitors alike.  The hospitality sector is doing well due to its proximity to major transportation routes as well as the Twin Cities international airport.

The city acknowledges the growing popularity of online transactions so it has streamlined its operations and has allowed people to transact business with City Hall online.  The coordination between the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce and the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce has paved the way for the establishment of more efficient business processes making the city more attractive to investors.

If you are planning to relocate to Blooming you are at least assured of finding beneficial work opportunities here considering that it is home to major employers providing thousands of jobs to Bloomington residents.  Among these companies are Mall of America with over 10,000 workers, Seagate Technology with 2,300 employees, Bloomington School District with 1,700 employees, Express Scripts with 1,700 employees, Health Partners with 1,540 employees and Donaldson Companies, Inc. with 1,200 employees.

The following companies also provide significant employment opportunities to Bloomington: The Toro Company, Thermo King, Holiday Companies, IKEA, Polar Semi Conductors, Inc., Ceridian and Ziegler, Inc.

Housing

Most corporate relocation and employee relocation packages are directed towards Bloomington not only because of the business and work opportunities offered by the city but also because of favourable housing and social conditions.

There are a total of 37,104 housing units in Bloomington as of the year 2000.  Of the 36,400 occupied units, 25,682 are occupied by the owners while 10,718 are occupied by renters.  The units occupied by the owners have an average value of $147,000 while those occupied by renters have an average value of $753.

Famous Citizens

Among the famous residents of Bloomington are Tony Oliva and Kent Hrbek of Minnesota Twins, NHL players Ben Clymer (Washington Capitals), Mark Parrish (Minnesota Wild), Erik Johnson, Tom Gilbert (Edmonton Oilers) and Peter Mueller (Phoenix Coyotes), Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin, Steve Rushin, former columnist of Sports Illustrated and Warren Spannaus, former Minnesota Attorney General..

The City of Bloomington also offers a good choice of institutional facilities for those planning to relocate here.  The city may be a thriving business area but it also boasts of an environment that is ideal for family life.

If you want quality life that translates to success in both your financial and family life then take a good look at what Bloomington has to offer you ad your family.  Perhaps, investing in Bloomington real may yet make your dreams a reality.

Powered By WP Footer

READ MORE

Previous: Richfield
Next: Savage