Amazon Whittles the HQ2 Competition Down to 20

Last week Amazon announced progress on locating its second headquarters: 238 applicants have been whittled down to 20 finalists. The top 20 offer some hints at what factors matter most to Amazon. A third of the finalists are in the Acela corridor from Washington DC to Boston. The Washington DC metropolitan area got three finalists, and New York City got two finalists, with neighboring Newark also getting a nod.

One Hope for Canada and One for the West Coast

Of the finalists, only Toronto is outside the United States. Toronto accomplished this without offering tax subsides to the online retailing giant, which suggests that Toronto’s bid had other fundamental advantages–e.g., Canada’s saner immigration policy. Potentially the lack of tax break goodies could mean other cities will win the race to the bottom, looking at it more cynically. That said, Canada offers universal health care and a lower corporate tax rate. Of the 20, only Los Angeles represents the West Coast, which adding weight to reports that Amazon was looking to build “HQ2” in a different time zone.