New York also ranked first in similar surveys taken in 1967 and 1977. Since New York boasts the largest population of any U.S. city, one might justifiably expect it to rank at the top of any such list; it is noteworthy that, despite growth in other major metropolises, New York’s great concentration of scientists at its numerous universities and medical centers has kept it on top for at least 20 years.
However, when measured in terms of the growth rate of number of publishing scientists, New York placed next-to-last among the 20 leading cities: For the period 1977 to 1987, the total number of publishing scientists in New York increased only 5.5% per year. Only Washington, D.C., which ranked fifth in the 1987 standings, grew more slowly over the past decade— at 2.5% per annum.
In contrast, the fastest growth took place in ninth-ranking Baltimore (28.5% per year) and sixth-ranking ...
