Read about how we selected the 2012 Best Cities for Job Growth
2012 New Geography Rankings - MEDIUM (150k - 450k employment)
|
2012 Rank Among Medium Cities
|
Area
|
2012 Weighted INDEX
|
2011 Nonfarm Employment (1000s)
|
2011 Size Ranking
|
Size Movement
|
|
1
|
Lafayette, LA
|
92.5
|
156.3
|
34
|
33
|
|
2
|
Corpus Christi, TX
|
90.4
|
184.0
|
2
|
0
|
|
3
|
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
|
79.7
|
232.3
|
6
|
3
|
|
4
|
El Paso, TX
|
77.8
|
283.1
|
1
|
-3
|
|
5
|
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC
|
77.4
|
296.4
|
8
|
3
|
|
6
|
Knoxville, TN
|
76.5
|
334.8
|
9
|
3
|
|
7
|
Provo-Orem, UT
|
73.7
|
185.8
|
30
|
23
|
|
8
|
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
|
72.8
|
234.5
|
43
|
35
|
|
9
|
Boulder, CO
|
72.1
|
164.3
|
26
|
17
|
|
10
|
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
|
70.6
|
375.7
|
40
|
30
|
|
11
|
Peoria, IL
|
70.5
|
182.5
|
65
|
54
|
|
12
|
Baltimore City, MD
|
70.1
|
364.9
|
60
|
48
|
|
13
|
Asheville, NC
|
69.2
|
172.0
|
31
|
18
|
|
14
|
Lincoln, NE
|
68.6
|
174.9
|
10
|
-4
|
|
15
|
Framingham, MA NECTA Division
|
68.2
|
158.0
|
50
|
35
|
|
16
|
Kansas City, KS
|
67.7
|
435.2
|
57
|
41
|
|
17
|
Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC
|
67.2
|
305.3
|
54
|
37
|
|
18
|
Trenton-Ewing, NJ
|
66.9
|
243.4
|
11
|
-7
|
|
19
|
Canton-Massillon, OH
|
66.9
|
164.7
|
79
|
60
|
|
20
|
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
|
66.7
|
276.8
|
22
|
2
|
|
21
|
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
|
63.8
|
204.3
|
5
|
-16
|
|
22
|
Ann Arbor, MI
|
63.7
|
202.4
|
21
|
-1
|
|
23
|
Evansville, IN-KY
|
63.6
|
175.6
|
37
|
14
|
|
24
|
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
|
63.5
|
340.2
|
20
|
-4
|
|
25
|
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY
|
62.4
|
253.0
|
29
|
4
|
|
26
|
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA
|
62.3
|
165.5
|
66
|
40
|
|
27
|
Reading, PA
|
61.8
|
171.0
|
55
|
28
|
|
28
|
York-Hanover, PA
|
61.4
|
177.7
|
46
|
18
|
|
29
|
Baton Rouge, LA
|
60.9
|
369.2
|
45
|
16
|
|
30
|
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
|
60.8
|
178.1
|
12
|
-18
|
|
31
|
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
|
60.5
|
220.5
|
68
|
37
|
|
32
|
Jackson, MS
|
59.8
|
255.5
|
41
|
9
|
|
33
|
Springfield, MO
|
57.9
|
194.1
|
24
|
-9
|
|
34
|
Fort Wayne, IN
|
57.9
|
208.3
|
68
|
34
|
|
35
|
Tulsa, OK
|
57.3
|
412.9
|
37
|
2
|
|
36
|
Green Bay, WI
|
56.9
|
166.9
|
16
|
-20
|
|
37
|
Columbia, SC
|
56.8
|
349.7
|
62
|
25
|
|
38
|
Anchorage, AK
|
56.4
|
170.0
|
3
|
-35
|
|
39
|
Worcester, MA-CT NECTA
|
55.9
|
243.9
|
59
|
20
|
|
40
|
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
|
55.4
|
318.0
|
38
|
-2
|
|
41
|
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
|
55.3
|
256.6
|
28
|
-13
|
|
42
|
Ogden-Clearfield, UT
|
54.8
|
193.8
|
19
|
-23
|
|
43
|
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
|
54.4
|
339.4
|
15
|
-28
|
|
44
|
Calvert-Charles-Prince George's, MD
|
53.8
|
382.2
|
49
|
5
|
|
45
|
Honolulu, HI
|
52.9
|
441.9
|
13
|
3
|
|
46
|
Madison, WI
|
49.1
|
344.3
|
33
|
-13
|
|
47
|
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
|
48.5
|
321.6
|
48
|
1
|
|
48
|
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
|
48.4
|
437.8
|
59
|
11
|
|
49
|
New Haven, CT NECTA
|
47.9
|
268.5
|
44
|
-5
|
|
50
|
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
|
47.7
|
205.4
|
89
|
39
|
|
51
|
Gary, IN Metropolitan Division
|
47.2
|
268.5
|
76
|
25
|
|
52
|
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division
|
47.0
|
265.8
|
39
|
-13
|
|
53
|
Boise City-Nampa, ID
|
47.0
|
256.8
|
71
|
18
|
|
54
|
Lexington-Fayette, KY
|
46.5
|
249.1
|
14
|
-40
|
|
55
|
Syracuse, NY
|
46.4
|
314.4
|
18
|
-37
|
|
56
|
Lancaster, PA
|
45.0
|
226.8
|
62
|
6
|
|
57
|
Chattanooga, TN-GA
|
45.0
|
233.4
|
47
|
-10
|
|
58
|
Dayton, OH
|
44.9
|
377.9
|
78
|
20
|
|
59
|
Huntsville, AL
|
44.0
|
205.6
|
17
|
-42
|
|
60
|
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
|
43.5
|
156.9
|
85
|
25
|
|
61
|
Winston-Salem, NC
|
43.3
|
207.2
|
47
|
-14
|
|
62
|
Colorado Springs, CO
|
43.2
|
247.5
|
58
|
-4
|
|
63
|
Mobile, AL
|
42.9
|
174.7
|
63
|
0
|
|
64
|
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
|
42.3
|
207.8
|
39
|
-25
|
|
65
|
Fresno, CA
|
42.0
|
281.2
|
72
|
7
|
|
66
|
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
|
41.8
|
157.6
|
18
|
-48
|
|
67
|
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME NECTA
|
41.5
|
187.0
|
41
|
-26
|
|
68
|
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
|
39.8
|
275.9
|
80
|
12
|
|
69
|
Stockton, CA
|
38.8
|
189.6
|
78
|
9
|
|
70
|
Tucson, AZ
|
38.6
|
358.4
|
58
|
-12
|
|
71
|
Tallahassee, FL
|
38.3
|
169.5
|
16
|
-55
|
|
72
|
Springfield, MA-CT NECTA
|
38.3
|
285.4
|
77
|
5
|
|
73
|
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
|
38.0
|
242.6
|
89
|
16
|
|
74
|
Albuquerque, NM
|
38.0
|
371.0
|
64
|
-10
|
|
75
|
Akron, OH
|
37.8
|
318.1
|
67
|
-8
|
|
76
|
Toledo, OH
|
37.2
|
301.8
|
95
|
19
|
|
77
|
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT NECTA
|
36.4
|
397.0
|
44
|
-33
|
|
78
|
Roanoke, VA
|
36.0
|
155.4
|
51
|
-27
|
|
79
|
Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division
|
35.7
|
373.4
|
71
|
-8
|
|
80
|
Spokane, WA
|
34.0
|
202.9
|
31
|
-49
|
|
81
|
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
|
33.8
|
222.9
|
93
|
12
|
|
82
|
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
|
33.0
|
157.6
|
45
|
-37
|
|
83
|
Greensboro-High Point, NC
|
31.9
|
345.3
|
90
|
7
|
|
84
|
Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division
|
28.8
|
331.7
|
72
|
-12
|
|
85
|
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
|
28.2
|
193.2
|
75
|
-10
|
|
86
|
Reno-Sparks, NV
|
27.9
|
190.3
|
92
|
6
|
|
87
|
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
|
26.5
|
177.2
|
56
|
-31
|
|
88
|
Wichita, KS
|
26.4
|
282.0
|
64
|
-24
|
|
89
|
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
|
26.4
|
195.4
|
70
|
-19
|
|
90
|
Montgomery, AL
|
25.7
|
164.3
|
52
|
-38
|
|
91
|
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
|
11.4
|
168.0
|
88
|
-3
|
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