Better City

What Better City does

Better City is a private economic development advisory firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Marriott-Slaterville, Utah (Ogden area). The firm serves municipal governments, counties, and economic development departments across at least 13 U.S. states with a portfolio of consulting services including Strategic Plans, Feasibility Studies, Action Roadmaps, Fractional Economic Development Advisory, Grant Writing and Research, Business Recruitment, Real Estate Development advisory, and Community Vision Plans. It is founder-led by Jason Godfrey, with a core team of 7-8 members supplemented by specialist partners in economic modeling (Econometric Studios) and strategic communications (X-Factor Strategic Communications).

The firm's underlying technology consists of a proprietary data tools suite: the Community Dashboard (70+ community-specific demographic, educational, industry, and workforce data points with 5-year comparisons), the Implementation Dashboard (goal tracking and stakeholder collaboration), the Self-Service Dashboard (community-to-state comparisons), the ProsperityIndex Benchmarking Tool (peer benchmarking and longitudinal index tracking), and a curated Grant Database. These tools are used internally to support consulting deliverables and are exposed publicly via the firm's website, though no API, SDK, or monetized self-serve product offering is disclosed.

Better City operates a sales-led, project-based professional services model. Action Roadmaps are priced at $25,000-$45,000 with 4-6 month delivery timelines and limited staff hours per engagement, while comprehensive strategic plans and larger engagements carry variable pricing. The firm has secured over $113 million in grant funding for clients across 60+ grant projects and serves 100+ communities. GTM relies on direct outreach to city managers, economic development directors, and mayors, supplemented by referrals and industry conferences. Marketing is concentrated on the website, LinkedIn, and Facebook with case study-driven content. The firm has no external institutional funding and operates as an asset-light boutique consulting practice.

Name

Better City

Legal name

Better City LLC

Website

https://bettercity.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Better City is a private economic development advisory firm serving municipal governments and counties across 13+ U.S. states with strategic plans, feasibility studies, grant writing, business recruitment, and proprietary data dashboards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Consulting

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA), Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

Keywords

• Economic development consulting
• Municipal advisory services
• Strategic planning services
• Grant writing services
• Community data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Ogden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Economic Development Advisory Services: Better City generates revenue through consulting fees for economic development strategic plans, feasibility studies, action roadmaps, and fractional economic development advisory services. Revenue is project-based with fees ranging from $25,000-$45,000 for action roadmaps to larger engagements for comprehensive strategic plans.
2. Grant Writing Services: The company earns fees for grant writing and research services, helping communities find, write, apply for, and receive grants. The company has secured over $113 million in grants for clients across federal, state, and local levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Better City is an economic development advisory firm that provides strategic plans, feasibility studies, action roadmaps, and fractional economic development advisory services to municipal governments and communities. The firm also offers grant writing and research services, business recruitment, real estate development advisory, and proprietary data dashboards for community economic analysis.

Product overview

Better City is an economic development advisory firm offering a portfolio of consulting services and data tools. The core offerings include Strategic Plans, Feasibility Studies, Action Roadmaps, and Fractional Economic Development Advisory Services. Supporting services include Grant Writing & Research, Business Recruitment, Real Estate Development, Community Vision Plans, Action Plans, and Local Business Retention & Expansion. The data tools suite includes the Community Dashboard, Implementation Dashboard, Self-Service Dashboard, and ProsperityIndex Benchmarking Tool, along with a curated Grant Database. Together, these products enable communities to assess their economic health, create actionable plans, secure funding, and track progress toward sustainable growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Plans
• Feasibility Studies
• Fractional Economic Development Advisory Services Implementation partnership where Better City provides economic development functions for communities, acting as an extension of the local team with varied expertise.
• Action Roadmaps Budget-friendly, efficient alternatives to comprehensive strategic plans providing concise, actionable lists of strategies and action steps for city managers and economic development directors. Pricing ranges from $25,000-$45,000 with 4-6 month timelines.
• Grant Writing & Research Grant assistance services that help communities find, write, apply for, and secure grants to finance their economic development visions and projects.
• Business Recruitment Services that recruit market-based, profitable, relevant businesses to call communities home, including analysis of which industries would benefit the community.
• Real Estate Development Advisory Advisory services in real estate development that assist communities in maximizing property opportunities and potential profits.
• Community Vision Plans Plans developed from feedback and responses from residents, youth, business owners, and leaders of a community through surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
• Action Plans Research-backed, action-oriented, community-prioritized plans crafted uniquely for each community and municipality.
• Local Business Retention & Expansion Services providing local businesses with resources, training, and services to support their growth and retention within the community.
• Community Dashboard Visualization tool displaying community demographic, educational, industry, and workforce data with more than 70 data points and 5-year comparisons.
• Implementation Dashboard Interactive dashboard for tracking and reporting on strategic goals and initiatives, collaborating with partners, and presenting progress to elected officials.
• Self-Service Dashboard Portal for finding high-level data at a glance with community-to-state comparisons that automatically updates as new datasets become available.
• ProsperityIndex Benchmarking Tool Tool for comparing community performance against peer communities, identifying distinguishing factors, and tracking index values over time.
• Grant Database Curated database of grants for communities sorted and filtered by applicable project, funding agency, match, and deadline with direct links and requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 grants written for communities, securing $113M+ in funding
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• EvertreenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvertreen supports verified carbon offset projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate climate change impacts, and lead to healthier environments and communities. Better City is proud to support these projects to mitigate their environmental impact.
• X-Factor Strategic Communications (Muriel Xochimitl)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic communications partner providing expertise in messaging and communications strategy for community projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TIP Strategies: TIP Strategies is an economic development strategy consulting firm that delivers strategic plans, feasibility studies, and implementation support to cities, counties, and regions — a near-identical service portfolio to Better City, addressing the same municipal customer segment.
• Camoin Associates: Camoin Associates provides economic development consulting, including strategic plans, economic impact studies, and grant writing for municipalities, competing head-to-head with Better City on the same local government RFPs and advisory engagements.
• Avalanche Consulting: Avalanche Consulting delivers economic development strategy, workforce analysis, and community assessment services to cities and regions — closely mirroring Better City's strategic plan and feasibility study offerings.
• Fourth Economy: Fourth Economy is a community and economic development consulting firm serving local governments, foundations, and regional organizations with strategy and implementation services comparable to Better City.
• AngelouEconomics: AngelouEconomics specializes in economic development strategies, target industry studies, and workforce development for municipalities and regions — directly competing with Better City's strategic plan and target industry work.
• Retail Strategies: Retail Strategies provides business recruitment, retail consulting, and community development services to municipalities, overlapping with Better City's business recruitment and economic development offerings.
• Place Dynamics: Place Dynamics provides economic development, downtown revitalization, and strategic planning services to small and mid-sized communities — directly comparable to Better City in customer segment and service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Buxton: Buxton is a larger, established data-analytics firm offering customer analytics and site selection tools used by municipalities and retailers — overlapping with Better City's data dashboard and business recruitment strategy work but with much broader scale and technology stack.
• Stantec (Community Development practice): Stantec's community development and urban places practice serves municipalities with planning, economic development, and infrastructure advisory services, competing with Better City on larger strategic plan and feasibility study projects as a large incumbent.

Emerging players

• HR&A Advisors: HR&A Advisors is an economic development, real estate, and infrastructure advisory firm working with cities and public-sector clients on complex growth strategies — overlapping with Better City's real estate development advisory and strategic planning engagements at the higher end of project scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bettercityllc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/better-city-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Better City