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BOOK OF FACTS
SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL ·
BOOK OF FACTS-3
DEC. 19, 2016
What’s in a fact?
It’s an undisputable bit of truth. A frac-
tion of knowledge that when combined
can give a person a clearer vision of the
whole. The next 40 pages contain the
facts that make up the whole of south-
west Missouri.
It can be a number, a sentence or a list-
ing. It can provide a snapshot of demo-
graphics or an inventory of industry. It
can help us predict the future or map the
past.
The third annual Book of Facts is chock
full of useful information. Did you know
the metro area population is up nearly
20,000 people, with the most growth in
Nixa? Or that the top 10 area banks have
deposits inside the market of just over $9
million? What about that following im-
plementation of the Affordable Care Act,
the uninsured rate in Missouri is down to just 9 percent?
We didn’t know any of those things either until Springfield Business Journal report-
ers took the time to look them up. We spent hours and days pouring over data, spread-
sheets and reports from sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census
Bureau, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Each source listed in this book is open and available to the public, but when’s the last
time you sat down for a good read and pulled up the latest census?
The Book of Facts is good, old-fashioned print journalism at work. We’ve flashed it
up a bit with colorful graphics to draw the eye, but a fact is a fact. It won’t change if
it’s printed in cyan ink or drawn on a chart – though it might make it more fun to read.
Graphic designer Wes Hamilton took our research and worked his magic to produce
something that blends the fact with the creative – the left brain with the right.
In journalism – and life – the devil is in the details. The details contained within
these 40 pages hold the truth of our community.
Did you know Missouri had the eighth-lowest cost of living in the nation for third-
quarter 2016? As southwest Missourians, we share that fact. Or that the Springfield
MSA population growth outpaces the state rate since 2010? We did that together.
Welcome to the Book of Facts – open it up and discover our community.
—Emily Letterman, Features Editor and
Audience Development Director
Springfield Business Journal
We did the research
so you don’t have to
ON THE COVER
Springfield Business
Journal Publisher Jennifer
Jackson and founder Dianne
Elizabeth Osis selected this
work from the craftsmen at
Springfield Hot Glass. The
mother-and-daughter art
enthusiasts considered works
in downtown galleries for the
cover image. A companion
piece will run on the SBJ’s
2017 Book of Lists cover.