Your City Match: Chongqing

  Population: 30.5 million

  Average Wage: $10,496/year

  Air Quality Index: 46 (good)

  Migrant Percentage: 17%

Chongqing is one of four municipalities under the direct jurisdiction of the central government. Its political status means that it has received significant resources and has been among the fastest growing regions in the past few years. That growth, however, has been primarily driven by manufacturing and fueled by fixed asset investments. While the local economy traditionally had been driven by heavy industries, in recent years, the region has sought to transform itself into an integrated modern production base of electronics—competing with Shenzhen for similar industries. It has succeeded in attracting many leading electronics manufacturers to set up shop in the region, including Hewlett-Packard and Foxconn.

As the fastest -growing region in China and the last major urban center on the Yangtze River, Chongqing is also considered a major logistics and transportation hub connecting coastal China and southwest China. It is also a key outpost in Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. The city is dramatically expanding its local transportation infrastructure to accommodate a growing population and is known for its neon-lit skyline. Fuling, Wanzhou, and Qianjiang districts are the newly developed areas in which residents and migrants are encouraged to move.