Ranks America\'s Top-Performing Cities （ZT）

New Report Ranks America's Top-Performing Cities

What are America's best-performing cities? Cities with strong technology, energy and trade sectors lead the nation in job creation, according to a report released today by the Milken Institute and Greenstreet Real Estate Partners. In the 2008 Best-Performing Cities Index, Provo, Utah, leads the rankings, which are dominated by thriving metro areas in Texas, Washington, Utah, Alabama and the Carolinas. The annual index provides a snapshot of where America's jobs are being created and sustained. It factors in both long- and short-term indicators of employment and salary growth, as well as technology output measurements. The 2008 results reveal a broad rebound in the technology sector, plus strong activity in exports and energy production. The top 10 cities for 2008 (with their 2007 rankings in parentheses) are: 1. Provo-Orem, Utah (8) 2. Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina (10) 3. Salt Lake City, Utah (18) 4. Austin-Round Rock, Texas (20) 5. Huntsville, Alabama (16) 6. Wilmington, North Carolina (2) 7. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas (7) 8. Tacoma, Washington (50) 9. Olympia, Washington (37 in the 2007 ranking of small metros) 10. Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina (12) Several metros that once topped the rankings fell due to a sharp downturn in their housing and construction markets; formerly booming locations in Florida and California took particularly significant hits. Cities in the industrial Midwest that depend on manufacturing also continue to suffer a long-term decline. The Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best-Performing Cities 2008 index is available for free download at www.milkeninstitute.org. The national rankings and underlying data can also be explored at http://bestcities.milkeninstitute.org.