Portfolio.com to Reveal Hidden Lifestyle, Business Trends Every Month

NEW YORK, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Portfolio.com, the national business news site that provides services for small and mid-sized business executives, today launches the U.S. Uncovered series: a monthly collection of exclusive, in-depth analyses of trends. In addition to providing a deeper look at U.S. lifestyle trends, the findings will aid executives in choosing where to start or expand businesses during a tenuous economic recovery. U.S. Uncovered debuts today with "Top U.S. Wealth Centers": a new ranking of American communities with more than 75,000 residents that contains a few unexpected findings.

"Our U.S. Uncovered findings will be surprising every month," said J. Jennings Moss, editor of Portfolio.com. "We're going beyond routine analysis to pull out the details that will be most helpful to businesses, like retailers and small to mid-sized business owners, who depend on us to learn about the most lucrative consumer demographics and business trends."

Inside America's Top Wealth Centers: Not What You'd Think

The highest-rated major city – those places with a population of at least 500,000 – is San Francisco, which ranks eighth overall. However, a combination of lofty incomes (more than a third of households make more than $200,000 per year) and high-end homes (median values exceed $1 million), earned Newport Beach, California, first place in the new ranking.

And the surprises continue: Right behind Newport Beach? Newton, Massachusetts – some 10 miles west of Boston. With nearly 23 percent of households earning more than $200,000, it's also one of only seven communities with median household incomes topping six digits. Rounding out the top five are Pleasanton, California (between Oakland and San Jose); Arlington, Virginia; and Santa Monica, California. At the back of the list: Reading, Pennsylvania; Camden, New Jersey; Flint, Michigan; Brownsville, Texas; and Gary, Indiana. The lowest-rated major city is Detroit, which is sixth from the bottom.

The findings–the work of G. Scott Thomas, a nationally recognized demographer who is projects editor for Buffalo Business First, which like Portrfolio.com, is owned by American City Business Journals – are based on a six-part formula to assess relative affluence. The analysis of U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey (the most recent source for federal statistics at the local level), focused on 420 cities, incorporated towns and unincorporated urban areas with populations above 75,000.

A tradition of original, in-depth analysis

U.S. Uncovered builds on Portfolio.com's tradition of examining American lifestyle and business trends of interest to the $13.7 trillion-dollar market of small- and mid-sized business executives. Previous coverage has included the hugely popular "Most Cost Effective NFL Quarterbacks" feature and the more recent "Small Business Vitality" analysis that found Austin, Texas, was the best U.S. city to launch a small business. (Note: the link to Small Business Vitality is here: www.portfolio.com/business-news/2010/01/18/austin-tops-small-business-vitality-survey)

In 2010, U.S. Uncovered will also look at the…

"This is the kind of original, insightful analysis that drives engagement with our coveted audience, as they fuel this country's economic recovery over the next five years," added Moss.

Nielsen pegs American City Business Journals' unduplicated audience of small and mid-sized business executives at some 84% versus rivals (NetView, July 2009). Some 83% of ACBJ's audience of 13.5 million unique monthly readers consumes business news online and a full 42.5% influence business purchases. Some 23% are C-level or hold EVP/SVP/VP titles. Their personal demographics show they're some of the most sought-after and difficult to reach individuals as well: average household income is $93,000 and 15.3% have a portfolio valued in excess of $500,000.

Spending from small and mid-sized businesses is expected to reach $1.83 trillion this year, according to data compiled annually by ACBJ, and the segment continues to be a growth market, with spending across a dozen core functions up in 2009. Further, these executives are optimistic about future business prospects: more than 57% of leaders at companies with five to 499 employees surveyed in September had a positive outlook. That was up 5 points from August and up 22 points from March 2009 lows.

About Portfolio.com

Portfolio.com is a national business news site that provides services for small and mid-sized business executives. Comprising original, in-depth reporting, thought-provoking insights, colorful features, exclusive analysis of custom research, and an intelligent business-news filtering tool, Portfolio.com is the first national business media outlet dedicated solely to delivering actionable news and information to this coveted $13.7 trillion audience. Portfolio.com relaunched in December 2009 as the information destination for business executives, insiders and strategists within the growing and profitable American City Business Journals.

About American City Business Journals

American City Business Journals engages 13.5 million decision makers each month through the company's 40 newsweeklies, 42 Web sites, digital newsletters and more than 400 local events across the country. It is the largest publisher of business-to-business information in the United States. More than 4 million readers each week engage with exclusive, in-depth coverage of local business communities; some 9 million unique monthly users engage with the company's digital content; more than 11 million e-newsletters are delivered each month via email; and the company sees more than 1 million mobile page views each month. American City is a unit of Advance Publications Inc., which also operates Conde Nast Magazines, Parade magazine, Fairchild Publications, the Golf Digest companies, Newhouse Newspapers and cable television interests.

SOURCE Portfolio.com