One of the top stories in Garnett last year was the sudden flow of potential jobs within driving range of Anderson County. With the opening of the Panasonic plant in De Soto, 4,000 workers will be needed. They are hiring now and are set to open the plant in 2024. On top of that, a new semiconductor plant is being built in Burlington that will need 1,200 workers.
Housing is a big issue in Anderson County and surrounding counties and after initial pushback from the Garnett Housing Authority, Garnett officials held a housing study. Very few affordable houses have been built in the area this year, and the study pointed out the lack of housing supply, but made suggestions to rectify it with development options like refurbishing delinquent structures and promoting construction on vacant home lots in town. As 2023 comes to a close, some local projects are beginning in the area with developers hoping to capitalize on regional growth.
