The top performing big cities in the U.S. are largely West Coast and Sun Belt cities that are, not surprisingly, ones that are big on technology, according to a report Tuesday from the Milken Institute.
Bank of America Plaza is the tallest building in Atlanta and the tallest tower in the U.S. outside the cities of New York and Chicago. (Christopher Oquendo Photography)
The top performers among big cities were: San Jose, San Francisco, Provo, Utah; Austin, Texas; Dallas, Raliegh, N.C.; Seattle, Portland, Greeley, Colo.; and San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Though Georgia did not have any cities ranked in the Top 25 among large metros, Atlanta checked in at No. 27 (up from No. 50) and Savannah ranked No. 30 (up from 58th).
Augusta ranked 123rd (down from 120th) and Columbus was No. 130 (down from 122nd).
The report, "2015 Best-Performing Cities: Where America's Jobs Are Created and Sustained," examined 200 big cities and 201 smaller metros based on an index that covered growth in jobs, wages and technological output.
“More than ever, America’s best-performing cities demonstrate what we call the innovation advantage,” Ross DeVol, chief research officer of the Milken Institute and a report author, said in a news release. “That is witnessed not just in ‘traditional’ technology but in the importance of software, social media and even cutting-edge health innovation.”
Atlanta has witness improved job growth since the depths of the recession and Savannah has enjoyed bustling activity through its port.
Cities in oil-rich states took a bit of a hit in 2015 as crude prices slumped.
“This year’s Best-Performing Cities index tells a tale of two sectors—technology and oil—moving regional economies in opposite directions,” DeVol said in the release. “In the shale oil patch, plummeting energy prices are undercutting the performance of those metros reliant on the sector, such as Tulsa and El Paso. But in Top 25 cities such as San Francisco, Austin, Seattle and Denver, the softer side of high tech is fueling urban economies, with stellar job and wage growth. As cities across America focus on fostering high-quality jobs, our best-performing cities are showing the way.”
California notched six metro areas in the Top 25 big cities, Colorado had four and Texas had three.
Eight Florida cities ranked in the Top 25 big cities whose ranking jumped the most, followed by seven in California.
Among small cities, Gainesville ranked as Georgia's top small burg at No. 27 (up from 62nd).
The other Georgia cities ranked included: No. 49 Macon (up from 139th), No. 100 Athens (up from 103rd), No. 124 Rome (up from 140th), No. 127 Dalton (up from 171st),
No. 181 Albany (down from 181), No. 184 Brunswick (down from 155th), No. 185 Hinesville (down from 110th) and No. 193 Warner Robins (down from 137th).
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