Did you know the Quad-Cities Area is highly affordable to live in compared to most other U.S. metro locations? Do you know how much the immigrant population is growing in the Q-C? Which city has the most $100,000 households, Moline or Rock Island?

The answers are part of "Progress 2003", a four-part special series about the Quad-Cities and its greatest resource -- the people who live here. The story will unfold each Sunday in February in The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus. "Progress" also is included in The Leader in Scott County for four consecutive Fridays, starting Jan. 31.

Part One of "Progress" -- "Quad-Cities: The Numbers Game" -- sizes up our communities with lots of U.S. Census data and stories of real people living by the numbers that make up the Q-C.

Part Two on Feb. 9 presents "Technology in the Quad-Cities", a fascinating look at how advances in technology fueled this area's growth in the early days and continues to push the economy today.

Part Three on Feb. 16 captures the "Role of the River" in an exciting journey through the Mississippi's cultural and economic history and its present-day recreational and commercial prospects.

Part Four wraps up on Feb. 23 with "Quad-Cities on the Move" which includes a city-by-city report on our communities' progress over the past year and a look at the challenges ahead.

Don't miss a single week of "Progess 2003!"