The Midwest

The Fresh Economic Development Strategy Emerging in the Midwest

Instead of prioritizing tax breaks for new factories, some cities are trying to attract residents by promoting quality of life benefits.

  • By Sharon O'Malley

The Corn Belt will Get Hotter. Farmers Will Have to Adapt.

The nation's largest corn producing region could soon be known as the Extreme Heat Belt.

  • By John McCracken, Grist

Toxic Algal Blooms are Driving Up Water Costs in the Great Lakes

In Toledo, Ohio, monitoring and treating algae-contaminated water from Lake Erie costs $100 per family per year.

  • By Diana Kruzman, Grist

Rising Waters Threaten Great Lakes Communities

“You have built in a place that’s naturally giving into the lake.”

  • By Alex Brown, Stateline

They’ve Built It, but Will People Come to the Midwest?

COMMENTARY | Several Midwest cities like Indianapolis are experiencing an economic renaissance. Yet, the region’s inability to attract people threatens long-term prospects.

  • By Aaron Renn

Midwest Cities Among the Worst Places to Live for African Americans

A new report finds that the Midwest has some of the highest racial disparities in the country across factors like education, employment, income, homeownership, and access to healthcare.

  • By Emma Coleman

How ‘Corn Sweat’ Makes Summer Days More Humid

It’s a real phenomenon, and it’s making the hot weather muggier in the American Midwest.

  • By David Montgomery, CityLab