Indiana | Economic Development Report
TerraMetrics
May 9, 2026
Total Employment
120.0K
Resilience Score
78/100
Diversification
103/100
Net Impact (Probable)
+1.2K
Median household income $52K (-20% vs state median) -- significantly below state average, limiting consumer spending and tax base.
Unemployment 4.5% with 130,000 total employed. Poverty rate 16%.
AI Exposure Index: 60/100 -- moderate vulnerability to AI-driven workforce disruption.
Highest risk sector: Legacy manufacturing (supplier base)
Metro jurisdiction -- larger government apparatus with more regulatory complexity.
Economic Vitality: stable -- adequate governance but limited capacity for bold policy moves.
30% bachelor's+ attainment -- above-average workforce readiness for knowledge-economy transition.
89% high school+ completion rate -- adequate base but gaps remain in advanced skills.
Moderate ecological risk profile -- no extreme climate events but regional exposure persists.
Housing median value $155K -- lower property values reduce but don't eliminate climate exposure.
No significant financial sector employment -- BTC adoption impact is indirect through consumer behavior and investment flows.
Median income $52K -- moderate crypto adoption potential aligned with national trends.
Defense/aerospace sector (14%) has direct exposure to quantum computing through encryption, logistics optimization, and materials science.
Research institutions (University of Notre Dame) provide local quantum/STEM workforce pipeline, though direct quantum compute facilities are rare outside major metro areas.
16% poverty rate means a larger unbanked/underbanked population. CBDC could improve financial access -- or create new surveillance concerns.
Retail/hospitality sector (7%) would be early adopters of CBDC point-of-sale infrastructure.
16% poverty rate strains community cohesion and institutional trust.
Population stable (-0.3% since 2020) -- community base is steady.
Signature: Higher Education & Healthcare - University of Notre Dame (6,000+ employees), Indiana University South Bend. Beacon Health System, Memorial Hospital.
Top Commodities:
Net employment change by sector under probable futures scenario. Green = growth, Red = displacement risk.
Address healthcare worker shortages by building accelerated training programs, especially for AI-augmented care roles.
Leverage existing healthcare employment density to attract AI health startups, clinical trial operations, and telehealth infrastructure.
Attract robotics and AI-augmented manufacturing companies to leverage existing manufacturing workforce and retrain for higher-wage automation roles.
Position existing manufacturing infrastructure to capture companies returning production from overseas, driven by supply chain security concerns.
Under the probable future, this county's strongest opportunity is healthcare workforce pipeline (feasibility: 81/100). The economic outlook is net positive with 1,231 potential new positions. Additionally, ai healthcare innovation cluster scores 74/100 feasibility.
University of Notre Dame (education/research)
Beacon Health System (healthcare)
AM General (defense vehicles)
Honeywell Aerospace (turbine engines)
IU Health South Bend
| Company | Date | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack (online retail) | 2025-03-01 | 55 | layoff |
| Honeywell Aerospace South Bend | 2023-05-01 | 70 | layoff |
| AM General | 2020-04-15 | 100 | layoff |
Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE)
Refundable income tax credits based on projected new payroll. Indiana's primary incentive for job creation. Credits calc...
tax_creditHoosier Business Investment (HBI) Tax Credit
Non-refundable tax credit against Indiana income tax liability based on qualified capital investment. Supports companies...
tax_creditIndustrial Development Grant Fund (IDGF)
Performance-based grants for significant job creation and capital investment projects. Typically reserved for large-scal...
grantSkills Enhancement Fund (SEF)
Grants to reimburse eligible training costs for new and existing employees. Supports workforce upskilling in advanced ma...
trainingHeadquarters Relocation Tax Credit
Relocating a corporate headquarters to Indiana unlocks enhanced income tax credits. Designed for companies moving decisi...
tax_creditData Center Tax Exemptions
Sales tax exemptions on qualifying data center equipment, electricity, and infrastructure purchases. Indiana's incentive...
exemptionTarget Sectors
Active Programs
Recent Wins
| Name | Investment | Jobs | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| GM/Samsung SDI $3B+ EV battery plant | $3B | 1,700 | 2026 |
| rScan HQ expansion | - | 152 | 2025 |
| Priority | Dimension | Action | Impact | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| critical | Social Trust | Pre-Positioned Displaced Worker Rapid Response | +4 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Convert AI Vulnerability into First-Mover Advantage | +6 | local |
| high | Economic Disruption | Reduce Education (Notre Dame/IU South Bend) Concentration Risk | +5 | local |
| high | Social Trust | Targeted Poverty Reduction in Highest-Need Areas | +5 | local |
| high | Economic Disruption | Mitigate GM/Samsung SDI $3B+ EV battery plant Concentration Risk | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Pre-emptive Reskilling Pipeline: Legacy manufacturing | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Sector-Aligned K-12 + Community College Pipeline | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Healthcare & Social | +4 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation | +2 | federal |
| medium | Education Value | Sector-Pivot Scholarship Voucher | +3 | local |
| high | Economic Disruption | Battery Plant Supply Chain Capture | +7 | local |
Total Impact
+51 pts
11 actions
Local Control
91%
10 of 11 actions
Critical Actions
1
highest priority
Impact estimates are modeled projections based on STEEPE dimension sensitivity analysis. Actual outcomes depend on implementation quality, timing, and external conditions.
Census CBP 2022, USDA Census of Agriculture 2022, Census ACS 2024, BLS QCEW, BEA County GDP, WARN Act Notices, TerraMetrics STEEPE Engine. Census QuickFacts: St. Joseph County. South Bend Regional Chamber.
STEEPE Framework: A multi-dimensional disruption assessment covering Social, Technology (AI, Blockchain, CBDC, Quantum), Ecological, Economic, Political, and Education. Each dimension is scored 0-100, where higher values indicate greater disruption intensity. Scores shown in this report reflect the Probable scenario projection.
Resilience Score (0-100): How well-positioned a county is to absorb economic disruption. Calculated from economic diversification (40%), opportunity-to-threat ratio (35%), and average sector wage levels (25%). Higher scores indicate greater capacity to weather change.
Diversification Score (0-100): Economic diversity across industry sectors, based on the inverted Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). A score of 100 indicates a perfectly diversified economy; lower scores indicate concentration in fewer sectors, increasing vulnerability to sector-specific shocks.
AI Exposure Score (0-100): Degree of exposure to AI-driven disruption based on knowledge worker concentration, tech company density, and manufacturing automation exposure. Higher scores indicate greater exposure, meaning both higher risk of displacement and higher potential for AI-driven growth.
Futures Cone (Probable / Possible / Preferable): Based on the Voros (2003) futures cone methodology. Probable represents where current trends lead (highest confidence). Possible covers what could happen across a wider range of conditions. Preferable describes the abundant future that proactive policy and investment can build toward.