Small Cities Rankings - 2009 New Geography Best Cities for Job Growth

Read how we pick the best cities.






2009
Size
Rank
 Area
2009
Weighted
INDEX
2008 Nonfarm Emplymt (1000s)
Size 2009
Size
Movement
Overall Rank 2009
1 Odessa, TX          100.0
64.8
S
3
1
2 Grand Junction, CO             92.4
66.5
S
7
2
3 Longview, TX             90.0
98.4
S
8
3
4 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA             88.0
97.8
S
18
4
5 Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX             87.9
128.4
S
34
5
6 Laredo, TX             87.1
91.3
S
27
8
7 Athens-Clarke County, GA             85.0
86.2
S
36
11
8 Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA             84.7
93.7
S
8
12
9 Morgantown, WV             84.5
63.4
S
6
13
10 Fargo, ND-MN             83.9
122.4
S
18
15
11 College Station-Bryan, TX             83.5
96.3
S
76
16
12 Coeur d'Alene, ID             83.0
55.8
S
-9
17
13 Bismarck, ND             82.8
61.0
S
17
18
14 Alexandria, LA             81.7
67.0
S
52
21
15 Cheyenne, WY             80.8
44.9
S
6
24
16 Olympia, WA             80.1
103.3
S
4
25
17 Sioux Falls, SD             79.9
135.6
S
12
26
18 Greeley, CO             78.8
82.5
S
0
28
19 Tyler, TX             78.7
96.3
S
34
29
20 Las Cruces, NM             78.0
69.4
S
26
31
21 Joplin, MO             73.1
80.9
S
31
41
22 Fayetteville, NC             73.1
129.0
S
12
42
23 Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR             73.0
58.4
S
62
43
24 Greenville, NC             72.4
77.2
S
-14
45
25 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO             72.3
136.6
S
6
46
26 Midland, TX             72.0
71.3
S
-25
47
27 Gainesville, GA             71.1
76.9
S
-14
48
28 Auburn-Opelika, AL             71.1
54.3
S
-23
49
29 Columbia, MO             70.7
93.4
S
36
51
30 Lynchburg, VA             70.5
109.3
S
8
52
31 Dubuque, IA             70.4
55.4
S
28
53
32 Iowa City, IA             69.8
90.9
S
10
56
33 Warner Robins, GA             69.4
58.0
S
-16
57
34 Rapid City, SD             69.4
60.3
S
62
59
35 Amarillo, TX             69.4
113.2
S
32
60
36 Wilmington, NC             69.1
142.7
S
-30
61
37 St. Joseph, MO-KS             68.5
58.9
S
-12
63
38 Rochester-Dover, NH-ME NECTA             68.2
58.5
S
11
64
39 Santa Fe, NM             68.2
65.0
S
6
66
40 Billings, MT             68.0
79.3
S
-17
67
41 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX             67.8
125.3
S
34
68
42 Grand Forks, ND-MN             67.2
54.8
S
14
70
43 Lubbock, TX             66.7
131.1
S
77
74
44 Bellingham, WA             66.6
84.1
S
-30
75
45 Cedar Rapids, IA             66.4
138.7
S
37
77
46 Pueblo, CO             66.2
58.4
S
-6
78
47 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD             65.8
76.5
S
77
80
48 Valdosta, GA             65.6
56.5
S
10
82
49 Champaign-Urbana, IL             65.6
116.3
S
84
83
50 Lafayette, IN             64.9
96.6
S
94
85
51 Abilene, TX             64.7
68.1
S
6
86
52 Fort Smith, AR-OK             64.2
124.3
S
2
87
53 Charlottesville, VA             63.8
100.5
S
-26
89
54 Ithaca, NY             63.8
64.7
S
36
90
55 Pascagoula, MS             63.0
58.6
S
-19
93
56 St. Cloud, MN             61.8
102.0
S
-8
96
57 Bowling Green, KY             61.8
61.4
S
-45
97
58 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI             61.5
93.9
S
71
98
59 Hattiesburg, MS             61.4
60.6
S
-22
99
60 Waco, TX             60.4
107.6
S
-13
103
61 Topeka, KS             60.1
111.7
S
69
104
62 State College, PA             59.3
74.2
S
21
108
63 Rochester, MN             58.8
106.0
S
23
110
64 Flagstaff, AZ             58.8
63.5
S
4
111
65 Tuscaloosa, AL             58.8
96.8
S
-14
112
66 La Crosse, WI-MN             57.2
74.7
S
51
115
67 Bloomington-Normal, IL             56.5
91.8
S
51
117
68 Lake Charles, LA             55.9
92.8
S
25
119
69 Spartanburg, SC             55.8
128.0
S
58
120
70 Springfield, IL             55.6
111.9
S
71
122
71 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA             55.6
90.0
S
35
124
72 St. George, UT             55.3
50.7
S
-70
126
73 Manchester, NH NECTA             55.1
101.6
S
15
128
74 Gainesville, FL             54.1
134.9
S
-3
131
75 Visalia-Porterville, CA             53.7
112.0
S
-1
133
76 Eau Claire, WI             53.3
82.3
S
-3
135
77 Yakima, WA             53.3
77.5
S
2
136
78 Wheeling, WV-OH             53.2
68.2
S
78
138
79 Jefferson City, MO             53.1
79.5
S
12
139
80 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL             52.9
56.0
S
-80
140
81 Glens Falls, NY             52.7
52.8
S
-11
141
82 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA             52.3
71.9
S
75
143
83 Portsmouth, NH-ME NECTA             51.5
54.5
S
-14
146
84 Macon, GA             51.4
101.3
S
69
147
85 Erie, PA             50.6
132.2
S
37
149
86 Panama City-Lynn Haven-Panama City Beach, FL             50.6
73.1
S
-60
150
87 Johnstown, PA             49.7
61.5
S
25
155
88 Decatur, IL             49.5
54.8
S
20
156
89 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH             49.4
119.6
S
5
157
90 Utica-Rome, NY             48.4
132.6
S
44
163
91 Binghamton, NY             48.2
114.1
S
30
165
92 Bend, OR             47.6
66.3
S
-85
170
93 Nashua, NH-MA  NECTA Division             47.5
132.5
S
14
171
94 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA             47.4
102.2
S
-14
172
95 Duluth, MN-WI             47.4
131.3
S
9
173
96 Florence, SC             47.0
87.5
S
-64
175
97 Bangor, ME NECTA             46.1
66.2
S
38
181
98 Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA             45.9
121.7
S
48
183
99 Salinas, CA             45.6
126.9
S
12
185
100 Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, MA-NH  NECTA Division             45.3
76.6
S
26
187
101 Napa, CA             45.3
62.4
S
-2
189
102 Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH             44.8
72.8
S
-1
193
103 Merced, CA             44.2
57.2
S
-27
198
104 Bloomington, IN             43.4
83.5
S
9
201
105 Sheboygan, WI             42.6
62.5
S
32
205
106 Wichita Falls, TX             42.4
61.2
S
-3
209
107 Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ             42.4
61.7
S
47
210
108 Johnson City, TN             42.4
80.4
S
2
211
109 Decatur, AL             41.7
57.4
S
-54
213
110 Jackson, TN             41.7
60.6
S
-15
214
111 Anniston-Oxford, AL             41.7
52.1
S
-13
215
112 Ocala, FL             41.5
101.2
S
-77
220
113 Columbus, GA-AL             41.2
120.0
S
34
224
114 Norwich-New London, CT-RI NECTA             41.2
133.6
S
11
226
115 New Bedford, MA NECTA             40.6
65.4
S
43
229
116 Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC             40.6
112.5
S
-108
230
117 Dover, DE             40.5
64.1
S
-45
231
118 Appleton, WI             39.9
116.1
S
-2
232
119 Barnstable Town, MA NECTA             39.1
93.7
S
32
238
120 Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH  NECTA Division             39.0
117.3
S
19
239
121 Monroe, LA             38.2
78.3
S
40
243
122 Bremerton-Silverdale, WA             37.9
83.8
S
-59
246
123 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV             37.6
100.1
S
5
247
124 Medford, OR             37.6
81.4
S
-80
248
125 Harrisonburg, VA             37.5
62.8
S
-63
249
126 Springfield, OH             37.5
52.0
S
43
250
127 Salisbury, MD             37.5
54.2
S
-46
251
128 Prescott, AZ             37.3
58.7
S
-109
252
129 Niles-Benton Harbor, MI             36.5
63.0
S
2
257
130 Racine, WI             36.4
79.0
S
25
259
131 Albany, GA             36.2
63.4
S
11
260
132 Peabody, MA  NECTA Division             36.1
99.8
S
30
261
133 Clarksville, TN-KY             36.0
82.3
S
-56
263
134 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI             35.2
142.1
S
14
264
135 Chico, CA             34.9
73.5
S
-35
265
136 Yuma, AZ             34.9
52.1
S
-112
266
137 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA             34.8
91.8
S
-77
267
138 Altoona, PA             34.8
61.1
S
-19
268
139 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS             34.3
107.6
S
-75
270
140 Dothan, AL             34.3
61.0
S
-79
271
141 Danbury, CT NECTA             33.9
68.6
S
-26
275
142 Missoula, MT             33.9
54.7
S
-53
276
143 Wausau, WI             32.8
70.9
S
-11
278
144 Kingston, NY             32.4
62.3
S
-1
281
145 Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, FL             31.9
80.6
S
-48
282
146 Burlington, NC             30.9
59.3
S
-68
286
147 Terre Haute, IN             30.8
72.7
S
19
287
148 Mansfield, OH             30.5
56.5
S
22
288
149 Muncie, IN             30.3
52.9
S
16
289
150 Port St. Lucie, FL             30.2
124.8
S
-100
290
151 Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA  NECTA Division             29.4
87.1
S
-28
292
152 Williamsport, PA             29.4
52.7
S
-2
293
153 Vallejo-Fairfield, CA             29.1
122.5
S
-1
295
154 Naples-Marco Island, FL             28.5
124.0
S
-45
298
155 Winchester, VA-WV             28.5
54.8
S
-114
299
156 Burlington-South Burlington, VT NECTA             28.2
111.2
S
-20
300
157 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI             27.3
141.6
S
-8
303
158 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ             26.9
144.3
S
5
305
159 Rocky Mount, NC             25.0
63.4
S
-45
307
160 Lima, OH             24.4
54.0
S
8
308
161 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ             23.3
48.9
S
-77
315
162 Janesville, WI             22.2
66.3
S
-70
316
163 Waterbury, CT NECTA             22.0
66.2
S
-18
317
164 Anderson, SC             21.2
61.2
S
-26
320
165 Holland-Grand Haven, MI             20.1
107.8
S
-1
324
166 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI             18.9
61.9
S
-7
326
167 Redding, CA             16.9
60.6
S
-62
328
168 Elkhart-Goshen, IN             16.3
111.7
S
-66
329
169 Dalton, GA             14.1
71.6
S
-9
330
170 Battle Creek, MI             12.2
56.6
S
3
331
171 Flint, MI             10.4
139.3
S
0
333
172 Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, MI               9.5
85.2
S
0
334
173 Jackson, MI               4.7
55.9
S
-6
336
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