Reference Library

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing.  The weighting specifications used by ACS focus on demographic, social and economic characteristics of people, households and housing units (both occupied and vacant).

It should be noted that ACS is a variant to the official Population Estimates Program at the U.S. Census Bureau, which are consistent with the decennial census definition of usual residence and represent the Census Bureau's official estimate of population.

The areas surveyed in the Northland include the Duluth Superior MSA, Carlton, Itasca and St. Louis Counties and the City of Duluth.

This category includes word-processed lists of each financial resource program in The Northland.  To narrow which programs are available for any geography, please refer to our Business and Entrepreneurial Resource tool by clicking the Resources tab above.

Job Opportunity Building Zones or JOBZ is the State of Minnesota's initiative to stimulate economic development activity in Greater Minnesota.  JOBZ provides local and state tax exemptions to qualifying new and expanding businesses until year 2016.

The Northland Works Partnership is a unique collaborative from Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin, working together to align workforce and economic development activites to create a multi-faceted regional economic development strategy for the 17 counties that comprise the two-state region.

This category includes the executive summary for that regional conversation (2008-2009).