Best and Worst State Economies for 2021
The 50 states and Washington, D.C., were assessed by one personal finance website across 29 key indicators of economic performance and strength. Utah had the best economy and Hawaii the worst.
How to Fix Skyrocketing Overtime
Overtime is often a necessary cost, but to deploy it effectively, officials need reliable data to track where and how it is being used and who is using it.
Introducing Route Fifty's New Federal Funds Newsletter
A weekly update on the recovery dollars flowing from Washington, D.C. to states and local governments.
A Welcome Challenge for a Rural County: Deciding How To Spend $1.8M
In Clear Creek County, Colorado, federal relief dollars could go toward addressing long-term challenges in areas like housing and economic development.
Financial Service Providers Focused on Distressed Areas See $1.2B Influx
Community development financial institutions, which operate in low-income and underserved markets, have gained access to record levels of federal funding over the course of the pandemic.
Wish You Were Here: States to Use Federal Funds to Boost Tourism
Governments can appropriate American Rescue Plan dollars to help the travel and hospitality industries rebound from economic devastation brought by the pandemic.
Rental Prices are Booming in Mid-Sized Cities
New estimates show how places like Boise, Idaho and Spokane, Washington have seen housing rents rise sharply during the pandemic. And the trend isn’t easing up.
State and Local Officials Push Back Against Calls to Redirect Federal Aid
Republican lawmakers and others have suggested that money from coronavirus relief measures could be shifted to pay for infrastructure.
How Cities Are Using Citizen Feedback to Guide Federal Relief Spending
There’s a wide range of possibilities for how the $350 billion in funding can be used. “We really wanted to understand how the community was thinking in terms of investment versus recovery,” says one city official.
Is the New Markets Tax Credit Program Helping Low-Income Neighborhoods?
COMMENTARY | NMTC investments generate significant economic activity and new jobs, but there are opportunities for policymakers to adapt the program to expand its benefits for residents.
Questions Loom for States, Localities About How to Spend Billions in Covid Relief Funds
Federal and policy experts told city officials Thursday that governments that lost revenue during the pandemic have greater flexibility for using the American Rescue Plan money.
The States and Cities With the Strongest and Weakest Levels of Capital Investment
A new data tool offers a detailed look at how real estate and business loans and other investments vary widely across the country and sheds light on the inequities poorer and minority neighborhoods face.
Billions of Federal Funds are Coming to Schools. How Should They Spend Them?
COMMENTARY | For decades, schools have added new staff at the expense of other investments. With the new federal relief dollars, district leaders should invest in targeted approaches to address the Covid-19 slide and maximize student learning opportunities.
Yellen Gets Icy Reception Making Infrastructure Tax Pitch to Chamber
The business group is not onboard with a White House plan to raise taxes on corporations to help pay for public works upgrades.
Report: Black Americans Continue to Face Economic Hardship due to Covid-19
Better educated and older Black adults are faring better than younger, less educated ones who have lost jobs and faced wage cuts at higher rates, making it harder for them to achieve their long-term financial goals, according to the Pew Research Center.
Most States Held Off Draining Savings in Response to Pandemic
Only 15 tapped rainy day funds in fiscal 2020 and reserves remained near record levels. Now, better-than-expected tax revenues and federal aid could limit the need for further withdrawals.
What it Takes to Feel 'Financially Comfortable' in Major US Cities
A survey asked residents in 12 metro regions about the net worth people need to feel financially comfortable or wealthy. It's a lot.
It’s Raining Federal Relief Dollars. Here's How State and Local Governments Can Effectively Use Them.
COMMENTARY | Funds flowing from the American Rescue Plan will create challenges for states and municipalities. Here are considerations for successfully managing the influx.
Paying With Cash? Retailers Must Take Your Dollars in These States
For many, requiring the option to use cash is a race and economic equity issue.
The Cities and Counties Getting the Biggest Sums of Federal Aid
The Treasury Department will begin distributing $350 billion in state and local pandemic recovery money this month. Funding for individual localities ranges widely between places, from thousands of dollars up into the billions.
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