2012 Best-Performing Cities
200 Largest Metros
2012 Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities  
The 2012 Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index ranks U.S. metropolitan areas by how well they are creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth. The components include job, wage and salary, and technology growth. In most years, these give a good indication of the underlying structural performance of regional economics.
Click on any of the links across the top to re-rank the metros by that category.   
MSA = metropolitan statistical area
MD = metropolitan division
Footnotes  *1 | *2 | *3 | *4 | *5 | *6 | *7 | *8 | *9       

Biggest Gainers
Spots Climbed 2012 Rank 2011 Rank Metropolitan Area
108  40  148  Holland-Grand Haven, MI MSA  
94  49  143  Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MSA  
92  99  191  Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA  
83  112  195  Gary, IN MD  
80  113  193  Naples-Marco Island, FL MSA  
79  35  114  Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC MSA  
75  70  145  Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA MSA  
75  94  169  Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT MSA  
73  108  181  Spartanburg, SC MSA  
71  92  163  Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI MD  
Biggest Decliners
Spots Declined 2012 Rank 2011 Rank Metropolitan Area
-132  151  19  Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR MSA  
-97  154  57  Springfield, MA MSA  
-95  143  48  Charleston, WV MSA  
-92  137  45  Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA  
-90  163  73  Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA  
-84  144  60  Springfield, MO MSA  
-81  161  80  Spokane, WA MSA  
-77  147  70  Savannah, GA MSA  
-71  105  34  Mobile, AL MSA  
-67  167  100  Gainesville, FL MSA  


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