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Richmond among Headlight Data’s Top Metros
September 3, 2025
Greater Richmond recently received a high scorecard across the board from Headlight Data, tying for 10th among 55 large metropolitan areas nationally in industry performance.
Metropolitan areas are ranked based on the performance of each industry, measured by job growth and trends comparing data from June of the previous year to June of the current year.
The Greater Richmond region experienced an overall 1.5 percent growth in employment base as of June 2025. In addition, this overall percentage growth is a slight increase than its five-year trend average of 1.2 percent.
The region serves as a vibrant and inclusive job market catering to a wide range of individuals from all experience levels and educational attainment, which greatly contributes to an overall high industry performance in the region.
While all sectors of the Richmond region grew in industry performance, there are some noteworthy industries from the dataset that contributed to the overall increase.
Health Services and Private Education
According to the dataset, the health services and private education sector is the top performing industry in Greater Richmond. Its employment base includes more than 111,400 employees and has risen by 4.8 percent in industry performance as of June 2025. Hence, this sector ranks in 16th place within the large metro category nationally.
Jobs within health services would include those employed by the VCUHealth system, in which the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center was also ranked the #1 hospital in Greater Richmond by U.S. News & World Report for the fifteenth consecutive year in a row. The VCU Medical Center also ranked second overall in the state.
Manufacturing
The dataset showed a relatively significant increase in manufacturing employment growth of 1.6 percent in 2025, bouncing back from June 2024, which was -2.1 percent. Overall, Greater Richmond’s manufacturing sector ranks in sixth place nationally by highest percentage growth for large metros.
Manufacturers are increasingly expanding into the Richmond Region, including the upcoming LEGO Group plant in Chesterfield adding 1,761 jobs, Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches’ expansion of 166 new jobs or San-J International manufacturing plant growth in Henrico.
Trade, Transportation and Utilities
The trade, transportation and utilities sector has remained consistent in industry performance as of June 2025, signaling a 1.7 percent growth within the sector’s employment base, resulting in an overall ranking of fifth place nationally by highest percentage growth for large metros.
Some well-known employers within this sector in Greater Richmond include Dominion Energy, the state’s leading provider of affordable and accessible utilities; the Richmond Marine Terminal, a major regional port on the James River that connects the region to Hampton Roads; and the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC), the region’s public transportation system.
