The fastest growing sectors in the region are construction, agriculture, and services. One measure of a region's accessibility is whether the largest municipality in the county is within 10 miles of an interstate. Eight of the region's 13 counties meet this criterion. Another measure of accessibility is whether the largest municipality in the county is within 50 miles of a commercial airport. Twelve counties meet this criterion.
Natural gas is readily available in the region.
Eight of the region's 13 counties have over 100,000 square feet of available space in industrial buildings, and ten counties have industrial park sites available. Parts of this region are designated as public water supply watershed areas. Nine counties have 30 percent or more of their land area affected by such watersheds.