Economics

Economics of Ironwood

Once the proud backbone of America’s steel industry, Ironwood’s economy has endured cycles of boom and collapse. The steel mills that forged its initial wealth shuttered in the late 20th century, leaving rusting skeletons of production lines and abandoned warehouses. Today, Ironwood’s economy is fractured: tech startups cluster in Hollowpoint, bringing a veneer of modern innovation, while Midtown sees a blend of service industries, small businesses, and struggling residential zones. Real estate speculation and gentrification have pushed lower-income residents outward, creating stark socioeconomic divides. Industrial legacy companies—some Wyrm-touched—still control energy, manufacturing, and resource extraction, quietly exploiting both urban and rural peripheries. Meanwhile, informal markets thrive in Briarbrook and Spiritglass Lake’s fringe areas, where Garou and sympathetic Kinfolk barter food, spiritual services, and information, keeping small-scale, underground economies alive. Despite these layers, the city suffers from income inequality, resource scarcity, and corporate overreach, creating fertile ground for corruption, Pentex infiltration, and the hidden conflicts of supernatural influence.