Sign In
About Research Events Experts Newsroom Blog
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2005 2004 2003

Large Cities | Small Cities

Large Cities | Small Cities

Large | Small

Large | Small

Large | Small

Large |Small

Large | Small

Large | Small

2011 Best-Performing Cities - 200 Largest Metros

200 Largest Metros List   View 179 Smallest Metros List

The 2011 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. The full report can be downloaded here.  

2011 Best-Performing Cities
FusionMaps.



Click here for a printable view
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 2011 Rank 2010 Rank Metropolitan Area
105  63  168  Merced, CA MSA  
88  41  129  Worcester, MA MSA  
81  51  132  San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA MSA  
74  19  93  Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR MSA  
70  57  127  Springfield, MA MSA  
66  74  140  Evansville, IN-KY MSA  
65  79  144  Reading, PA MSA  
65  110  175  Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA MSA  
62  32  94  York-Hanover, PA MSA  
59  78  137  Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME MSA  
56  124  180  Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA  
55  45  100  Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA  
53  55  108  Columbus, OH MSA  
51  148  199  Holland-Grand Haven, MI MSA  
51  52  103  San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA MD  
47  50  Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA  
43  49  Salt Lake City, UT MSA  
43  73  116  Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA  
42  65  107  Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA MSA  
42  42  84  Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN MSA  
39  99  138  Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA MSA  
39  62  101  Greeley, CO MSA  
38  15  53  Ogden-Clearfield, UT MSA  
35  163  198  Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI MD  
35  40  75  Peabody, MA MD  
Biggest Decliners
Spots Declined 2011 Rank 2010 Rank Metropolitan Area
-82  93  11  Lafayette, LA MSA  
-81  151  70  Visalia-Porterville, CA MSA  
-77  137  60  Kansas City, MO-KS MSA  
-69  105  36  Olympia, WA MSA  
-68  158  90  Manchester-Nashua, NH MSA  
-65  106  41  Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA  
-65  195  130  Gary, IN MD  
-65  175  110  Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA  
-63  89  26  Baton Rouge, LA MSA  
-58  169  111  Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT MSA  
-55  157  102  Green Bay, WI MSA  
-52  114  62  Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC MSA  
-51  67  16  Amarillo, TX MSA  
-50  83  33  Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA MSA  
-50  115  65  Columbia, SC MSA  
-48  86  38  Tulsa, OK MSA  
-46  90  44  St. Louis, MO-IL MSA  
-45  164  119  Winston-Salem, NC MSA  
-40  119  79  Richmond, VA MSA  
-38  126  88  Tallahassee, FL MSA  
-35  112  77  Tucson, AZ MSA  
-33  197  164  Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA  
-32  84  52  Nassau-Suffolk, NY MD  
-32  98  66  Jackson, MS MSA  
-32  104  72  Wichita, KS MSA