Best-Performing Cities 2020: Where America’s Jobs Are Created and Sustained

About Best-Performing Cities

How did US regional economies perform recently? What are the key factors driving their growth and decline? The Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities series has tracked the economic performance of US metros for two decades using job, wage and salary, and high-tech gross domestic product (GDP) indicators. Metros are ranked on their performance, while indicators help identify the drivers behind their success or failure. With this publication, we hope metros will learn from others’ experiences and enhance urban economies in the long run.

Learn more about the methodology.

The 2020 Rankings

Top 10 Best-Performing Large Cities

Metropolitan Statistical Area / Metropolitan Division	2020 Rank	2018 Rank	Change
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA	1	4	3
Provo-Orem, UT	2	1	-1
Austin-Round Rock, TX	3	3	Steady
Reno, NV	4	11	7
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	5T	2	-3
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	5T	7	2
Boise City, ID	7	12	5
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA	8	8	Steady
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX	9	5	-4
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	10	57	47

Top 10 Best-Performing Small Cities

Metropolitan Statistical Area / Metropolitan Division	2020 Rank	2018 Rank	Change
Bend-Redmond, OR	1	1	Steady
Grants Pass, OR	2	23	21
Logan, UT-ID	3	10	7
St. George, UT	4	2	-2
Coeur d’Alene, ID	5T	5	Steady
The Villages, FL	5T	20	15
Idaho Falls, ID	7	24	17
Gainesville, GA	8	3	-5
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL	9	13	4
Bellingham, WA	10	17	7

Key Findings

San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA, regains the crown as the best-performing large metro after 2014. The skilled workforce, abundant venture capital, and innovation and entrepreneurial culture support regional high value-added industries, including the expanding tech and biotech industries. The metro’s excellent performance in our five-year high-tech GDP growth (ranked first) illustrates this point.
Twenty-one top-performing large metros return from our 2018 Best-Performing Cities index. A substantial number of them are metros with dynamic tech sectors, including San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA; Provo-Orem, UT; Austin-Round Rock, TX; and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA. Others, like Reno, NV, continue to develop a diverse industrial base while experiencing rapid growth in the advanced manufacturing and technology sectors.
California secured four (San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA; Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA; and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA) of the top 25 spots among large metros. The Bay Area in Northern California consistently shows economic excellence powered by high value-added industries.

Biggest Gains

Recent rising demand in energy and natural resources, such as coal and natural gas, uplifts several resource-dependent metros in our index, including Tuscaloosa, AL; Grand Junction, CO; Odessa, TX; and Wheeling, WV-OH.
The Wheeling, WV-OH, metro is the biggest gainer among all metro areas in our index, jumping 111 spots to 70th place.
Other big gainers include California-Lexington Park, MD, and Clarksville, TN-KY, two regional economies anchored by the defense industry.
Still, other big gainers, including Sebring, FL; Carson City, NV; and Kingston, NY, have health care, retirement communities, and tourism driving their economic growth.

Source: https://milkeninstitute.org/reports/best-performing-cities-2020

Louise Simpson

Greetings, I was born in South Africa, and moved to Nevada over 30 years ago. I have resided in the Reno area for the past 25 years, living the past 20 years in Galena Forest Estates, much of it with my three lovely sons. I have been involved with the Montrêux Real Estate Group since its inception in the early 90's, and was previously the marketing director of the Montrêux Development Group the past eight years. Having known the area for so long, and believing I could help share the Montrêux area with others, I chose to begin selling homes with Dickson Realty, the broker of record at Montreux and one of the most professional real estate companies in the greater Reno, Nevada area. I am happy were I am and would love to help you find a quality, yet affordable home or piece of real estate in Reno or the Montrêux area. Reno living, with its outdoor lifestyle, fresh air, proximity to Lake Tahoe and the Sierras, not to mention Nevada's tax friendly attitude to businesses, make the area one of the best-kept secrets in the United States. Additionally, Montrêux has spared nothing in its goal to make it the best place to live in town, since quality of life usually takes precedence over everything else. Please feel free to contact me for a relaxed, no-pressure meeting if you are interested in buying or selling a home in the Reno, Nevada area. I look forward to meeting anyone interested in real estate opportunities, even if you're uncertain about buying a home. I will listen to your needs and work diligently to find you a home, or steer you in the right home-buying direction otherwise. Please call or email me if you have any questions - I really believe I can make a difference in your search for finding or selling a home. Ms. Louise Natalie Simpson P.S. If you'd like to see a video about Montreux, please see the following clips: YouTube

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