Small Cities Rankings - 2010 Best Cities for Job Growth

Read how we pick the best cities.





Size Rank 2010  Area
2010 Weighted INDEX
2009 Nonfarm Emplmnt (1000s)
Size Rank Change 2010
1 Jacksonville, NC
99.8
 48.2
2 Bismarck, ND
95.1
 62.0
12
3 College Station-Bryan, TX
94.8
 98.2
9
4 Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX
92.7
 125.9
2
5 St. Joseph, MO-KS
92.0
 59.1
33
6 Fayetteville, NC
91.9
 129.7
17
7 Lawton, OK
91.2
 43.9
8 Fargo, ND-MN
90.8
 121.5
4
9 Yakima, WA
84.9
 77.3
70
10 Bloomington, IN
84.9
 84.8
96
11 Hattiesburg, MS
83.6
 59.5
50
12 Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA
82.1
 95.9
-2
13 Morgantown, WV
81.7
 63.5
-2
14 Hinesville-Fort Stewart, GA
81.0
 19.5
15 Great Falls, MT
80.9
 35.0
16 Hanford-Corcoran, CA
80.0
 36.8
17 Ithaca, NY
79.9
 64.7
42
18 Warner Robins, GA
79.8
 58.8
20
19 Iowa City, IA
79.0
 90.2
18
20 State College, PA
78.6
 74.2
47
21 Pascagoula, MS
77.8
 57.3
39
22 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
77.7
 124.1
24
23 Columbia, MO
77.5
 91.5
11
24 Las Cruces, NM
77.2
 67.9
1
25 Pueblo, CO
77.2
 56.9
26
26 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
76.9
 38.3
27 Grand Forks, ND-MN
76.4
 53.7
21
28 Lubbock, TX
76.1
 129.3
21
29 Kankakee-Bradley, IL
76.1
 43.5
30 Waco, TX
76.0
 106.1
37
31 Fairbanks, AK
75.9
 36.7
32 Jonesboro, AR
75.8
 48.7
33 Cheyenne, WY
75.6
 43.7
-9
34 Cedar Rapids, IA
75.3
 135.9
20
35 Glens Falls, NY
75.2
 52.6
55
36 Sioux Falls, SD
75.0
 132.4
-10
37 Greenville, NC
74.5
 74.9
-4
38 Rapid City, SD
73.8
 58.9
5
39 Amarillo, TX
73.6
 109.7
5
40 Cape Girardeau-Jackson, MO-IL
72.5
 44.5
41 Lawrence, KS
72.4
 51.9
42 Springfield, IL
72.2
 109.7
39
43 Portsmouth, NH-ME NECTA
72.2
 53.6
51
44 Billings, MT
72.0
 78.4
7
45 Midland, TX
71.7
 64.6
-8
46 Alexandria, LA
71.5
 64.3
-21
47 Abilene, TX
71.4
 65.2
15
48 Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, MA-NH  NECTA Division
71.3
 75.4
63
49 Tyler, TX
70.7
 92.7
-19
50 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
70.3
 131.9
-14
51 Harrisonburg, VA
70.2
 62.0
85
52 Olympia, WA
69.8
 99.1
-25
53 Rochester, MN
69.6
 103.0
21
54 St. Cloud, MN
69.5
 98.6
13
55 Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR
69.1
 56.1
-21
56 Madera-Chowchilla, CA
68.8
 33.7
57 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
68.7
 54.5
35
58 Auburn-Opelika, AL
68.6
 52.2
-18
59 Wheeling, WV-OH
67.8
 66.6
31
60 Utica-Rome, NY
67.8
 131.0
42
61 Jefferson City, MO
67.7
 77.8
30
62 Charlottesville, VA
67.6
 98.0
3
63 San Angelo, TX
67.5
 43.8
64 Bloomington-Normal, IL
67.4
 88.5
16
65 Odessa, TX
67.2
 57.7
-51
66 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
67.1
 88.0
18
67 Panama City-Lynn Haven-Panama City Beach, FL
66.7
 71.0
32
68 Dubuque, IA
66.6
 53.7
-24
69 Athens-Clarke County, GA
66.6
 80.8
-49
70 Laredo, TX
66.6
 86.8
-51
71 Manchester, NH NECTA
66.5
 98.5
15
72 Ames, IA
66.4
 47.0
73 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA
66.1
 91.6
-55
74 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
65.8
 73.1
-13
75 Flagstaff, AZ
65.8
 61.8
3
76 Wilmington, NC
65.4
 136.6
-26
77 Elizabethtown, KY
65.3
 46.1
78 Joplin, MO
65.1
 77.7
-42
79 Lebanon, PA
65.0
 48.1
80 Coeur d'Alene, ID
64.7
 53.0
-52
81 Logan, UT-ID
64.5
 52.5
82 Barnstable Town, MA NECTA
64.3
 92.0
54
83 Altoona, PA
64.1
 60.3
72
84 Bangor, ME NECTA
63.6
 64.9
30
85 Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
63.4
 82.9
54
86 Clarksville, TN-KY
63.2
 81.0
64
87 Tuscaloosa, AL
62.9
 93.1
-5
88 Cumberland, MD-WV
62.7
 38.7
89 Johnstown, PA
62.6
 59.7
16
90 Ocean City, NJ
62.3
 35.8
91 El Centro, CA
61.6
 44.6
92 New Bedford, MA NECTA
61.5
 63.7
43
93 Topeka, KS
61.2
 107.8
-12
94 Longview, TX
61.0
 93.3
-71
95 Columbus, GA-AL
60.4
 116.8
38
96 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
59.9
 90.0
-18
97 Owensboro, KY
59.5
 49.1
98 Idaho Falls, ID
58.5
 48.3
99 Binghamton, NY
57.6
 109.8
14
100 Norwich-New London, CT-RI NECTA
57.4
 130.4
36
101 Lynchburg, VA
57.4
 104.5
-49
102 Goldsboro, NC
57.0
 43.2
103 La Crosse, WI-MN
56.9
 71.8
-14
104 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
56.7
 115.5
8
105 Missoula, MT
56.7
 54.1
60
106 Sherman-Denison, TX
56.3
 42.2
107 Hot Springs, AR
56.2
 36.5
108 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
56.1
 68.8
-1
109 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
55.8
 78.0
61
110 Kingston, NY
55.8
 60.5
59
111 Dover, DE
55.8
 62.6
31
112 Gainesville, FL
55.3
 128.3
-13
113 Palm Coast, FL
55.2
 17.9
114 Monroe, LA
55.0
 75.7
33
115 Rochester-Dover, NH-ME NECTA
54.9
 55.5
-51
116 Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ
54.7
 60.0
17
117 Eau Claire, WI
54.4
 78.2
-15
118 Champaign-Urbana, IL
54.1
 109.0
-43
119 Mankato-North Mankato, MN
53.9
 51.5
120 Anderson, IN
53.8
 40.8
121 Lewiston-Auburn, ME NECTA
53.5
 47.2
122 Lewiston, ID-WA
53.2
 25.9
123 Santa Fe, NM
53.1
 60.6
-54
124 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
52.9
 106.2
45
125 Burlington-South Burlington, VT NECTA
52.6
 109.9
61
126 Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH
52.1
 70.0
6
127 Casper, WY
51.9
 37.9
128 Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC
51.9
 108.4
19
129 Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA  NECTA Division
51.6
 85.7
53
130 Greeley, CO
51.4
 77.0
-81
131 Williamsport, PA
51.4
 51.8
52
132 Sandusky, OH
51.0
 34.2
133 Lake Charles, LA
50.9
 88.6
-33
134 Appleton, WI
50.7
 113.3
16
135 Albany, GA
50.3
 61.5
28
136 Pine Bluff, AR
49.7
 37.4
137 Elmira, NY
49.2
 39.1
138 Duluth, MN-WI
49.1
 125.8
-9
139 Visalia-Porterville, CA
49.0
 106.3
-30
140 Bellingham, WA
48.8
 79.2
-62
141 Victoria, TX
48.4
 48.1
142 Peabody, MA  NECTA Division
48.4
 97.4
25
143 Chico, CA
47.3
 70.3
27
144 Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH  NECTA Division
47.3
 112.8
11
145 Lafayette, IN
47.0
 91.1
-60
146 Grand Junction, CO
46.9
 59.6
-109
147 Rome, GA
46.7
 39.7
148 Gainesville, GA
46.0
 71.2
-85
149 Valdosta, GA
45.8
 52.8
-65
150 Winchester, VA-WV
45.8
 53.2
41
151 Pocatello, ID
45.2
 36.3
152 Salinas, CA
44.5
 120.5
-16
153 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
44.2
 95.9
7
154 Nashua, NH-MA  NECTA Division
44.0
 126.0
-24
155 Springfield, OH
43.9
 49.8
8
156 Anniston-Oxford, AL
43.8
 49.6
-8
157 Fort Smith, AR-OK
43.7
 115.9
-68
158 Bowling Green, KY
43.2
 57.6
-64
159 Yuba City, CA
43.1
 37.6
160 Johnson City, TN
43.1
 76.8
-14
161 Decatur, IL
43.0
 51.9
-35
162 Salisbury, MD
42.7
 52.2
3
163 Napa, CA
42.7
 59.5
-24
164 St. George, UT
42.6
 46.4
-54
165 Macon, GA
41.8
 96.2
-43
166 Corvallis, OR
41.7
 36.7
167 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
41.2
 96.5
-34
168 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
40.3
 43.4
169 Pittsfield, MA NECTA
40.1
 34.4
170 Longview, WA
39.7
 35.1
171 Brunswick, GA
39.5
 41.8
172 Battle Creek, MI
39.1
 55.7
41
173 Florence, SC
39.0
 82.8
-34
174 Merced, CA
38.9
 54.3
-28
175 Cleveland, TN
38.9
 38.9
176 Farmington, NM
38.5
 48.2
177 Terre Haute, IN
38.2
 69.9
15
178 Danville, IL
37.9
 29.4
179 Punta Gorda, FL
36.5
 39.3
180 Erie, PA
36.3
 125.1
-48
181 Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
35.9
 117.1
19
182 Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA
35.8
 115.3
-37
183 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
35.3
 87.7
1
184 Bend, OR
34.8
 60.5
-45
185 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
34.6
 136.8
19
186 Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, MI
33.8
 83.3
33
187 Michigan City-La Porte, IN
33.7
 43.2
188 Columbus, IN
33.5
 41.5
189 Redding, CA
33.1
 57.9
27
190 Prescott, AZ
32.7
 55.9
-13
191 Port St. Lucie, FL
31.0
 118.7
8
192 Wichita Falls, TX
30.3
 57.6
-37
193 Medford, OR
29.9
 75.7
-20
194 Dothan, AL
29.8
 57.6
-5
195 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ
29.7
 136.0
12
196 Rocky Mount, NC
29.0
 60.2
12
197 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ
28.0
 46.5
13
198 Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL
27.4
 43.5
199 Decatur, AL
26.7
 53.3
-40
200 Gadsden, AL
26.6
 35.1
201 Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner, MA NECTA
26.1
 47.1
202 Carson City, NV
26.0
 29.2
203 Bay City, MI
25.5
 35.8
204 Yuma, AZ
25.4
 49.4
-14
205 Jackson, TN
25.4
 57.1
-41
206 Lima, OH
25.2
 51.7
8
207 Muncie, IN
23.4
 49.1
-4
208 Danbury, CT NECTA
22.4
 64.6
-13
209 Burlington, NC
22.1
 55.6
-9
210 Wausau, WI
21.3
 65.7
-13
211 Danville, VA
21.3
 39.2
212 Mansfield, OH
21.0
 52.9
-9
213 Niles-Benton Harbor, MI
20.8
 58.5
-29
214 Spartanburg, SC
20.5
 116.3
-90
215 Ocala, FL
20.5
 90.8
-48
216 Sheboygan, WI
20.0
 58.3
-56
217 Fond du Lac, WI
17.7
 43.9
218 Flint, MI
17.4
 133.7
9
219 Naples-Marco Island, FL
16.8
 109.8
-9
220 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI
16.2
 57.8
2
221 Racine, WI
15.7
 73.3
-35
222 Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV
15.6
 43.9
223 Monroe, MI
13.4
 37.0
224 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
12.6
 130.8
-32
225 Sumter, SC
11.3
 35.1
226 Anderson, SC
10.8
 58.0
-3
227 Jackson, MI
10.6
 53.2
5
228 Waterbury, CT NECTA
8.9
 61.2
-6
229 Dalton, GA
7.6
 66.0
-1
230 Janesville, WI
7.5
 60.3
-9
231 Kokomo, IN
6.0
 39.4
232 Holland-Grand Haven, MI
4.7
 100.7
-7
233 Elkhart-Goshen, IN
2.5
 97.8
-5
234 Morristown, TN
1.5
 44.5
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