Read about how we selected the 2017 Best Cities for Job Growth
| 2017 MSA Prof & Bus Svcs - Small MSAs | Area | Weighted INDEX | 2016 Prof & Bus Svcs Emplmt (1000s) | Total Prof & Bus Svcs Emplmt Growth Rate 2015-2016 |
Overall Rank Change 2016 to 2017 |
| 1 | Wausau, WI | 92.5 | 7.2 | 13.8% | 50 |
| 2 | Monroe, MI | 91.1 | 5.3 | 4.6% | 0 |
| 3 | College Station-Bryan, TX | 89.6 | 9.0 | 8.9% | 6 |
| 4 | Jackson, TN | 88.9 | 7.3 | 10.0% | 3 |
| 5 | Salisbury, MD-DE | 88.1 | 13.3 | 14.0% | 13 |
| 6 | Grants Pass, OR | 87.8 | 2.3 | 14.8% | 54 |
| 7 | Bend-Redmond, OR | 86.7 | 9.4 | 5.6% | 8 |
| 8 | Topeka, KS | 85.8 | 14.9 | 7.5% | 51 |
| 9 | Clevel&, TN | 84.2 | 10.5 | 12.5% | 105 |
| 10 | Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, MA NECTA Div | 84.1 | 3.3 | 5.3% | 146 |
| 11 | Olympia-Tumwater, WA | 83.8 | 11.5 | 3.6% | 28 |
| 12 | Gainesville, FL | 83.5 | 14.2 | 7.1% | 22 |
| 13 | Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY | 82.8 | 7.1 | 5.4% | (8) |
| 14 | Laredo, TX | 82.0 | 9.8 | 11.3% | (2) |
| 15 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 81.9 | 12.7 | 4.1% | 92 |
| 16 | St. George, UT | 80.2 | 4.9 | 2.1% | (8) |
| 17 | Morristown, TN | 78.6 | 4.1 | 15.1% | 92 |
| 18 | Springfield, IL | 78.2 | 14.9 | 14.4% | 39 |
| 19 | State College, PA | 77.7 | 6.9 | 7.8% | 46 |
| 20 | Lubbock, TX | 76.0 | 12.8 | 7.3% | 20 |
| 21 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 75.9 | 10.7 | 7.0% | 26 |
| 22 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 75.7 | 15.6 | 4.0% | 27 |
| 23 | Spartanburg, SC | 75.7 | 17.9 | 8.9% | 68 |
| 24 | Yuba City, CA | 75.3 | 3.3 | 13.6% | 19 |
| 25 | Redding, CA | 75.2 | 6.7 | 7.4% | (3) |
| 26 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 73.2 | 18.3 | 10.9% | 41 |
| 27 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 71.7 | 17.5 | 6.7% | 2 |
| 28 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | 71.7 | 12.9 | 2.4% | 83 |
| 29 | Waco, TX | 71.6 | 12.5 | 0.0% | (15) |
| 30 | Kankakee, IL | 69.8 | 3.6 | 18.5% | 62 |
| 31 | Monroe, LA | 69.6 | 8.8 | 5.2% | 90 |
| 32 | Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL | 69.4 | 16.1 | 1.3% | 21 |
| 33 | Charlottesville, VA | 67.8 | 15.3 | 1.8% | (20) |
| 34 | Ocala, FL | 67.0 | 10.0 | 10.7% | 94 |
| 35 | Dover, DE | 66.6 | 4.6 | 4.5% | 1 |
| 36 | Wilmington, NC | 66.6 | 16.0 | 5.5% | 22 |
| 37 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | 66.6 | 8.0 | 3.0% | 9 |
| 38 | Flagstaff, AZ | 65.8 | 3.3 | 8.9% | (15) |
| 39 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 65.6 | 12.3 | 4.2% | 11 |
| 40 | Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, MA NECTA Div | 65.4 | 6.3 | 4.4% | 15 |
| 41 | Jackson, MI | 64.4 | 4.8 | 3.6% | 111 |
| 42 | Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 64.3 | 2.4 | 0.0% | 129 |
| 43 | Bowling Green, KY | 64.1 | 9.3 | 6.1% | (13) |
| 44 | Greeley, CO | 64.0 | 9.8 | 2.1% | (28) |
| 45 | Yuma, AZ | 63.6 | 7.1 | 7.0% | 16 |
| 46 | Lawton, OK | 62.7 | 4.6 | 3.0% | (42) |
| 47 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | 62.5 | 6.1 | 2.2% | (41) |
| 48 | Panama City, FL | 62.0 | 10.9 | -0.9% | 0 |
| 49 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 61.7 | 10.4 | 6.8% | 40 |
| 50 | Napa, CA | 61.3 | 6.9 | 3.0% | (40) |
| 51 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 61.0 | 9.9 | -3.2% | (20) |
| 52 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 59.5 | 10.7 | 1.3% | (32) |
| 53 | Johnson City, TN | 59.4 | 8.8 | 6.9% | 77 |
| 54 | Salinas, CA | 58.7 | 13.2 | -0.5% | (10) |
| 55 | Prescott, AZ | 58.5 | 3.5 | 3.9% | (22) |
| 56 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 57.9 | 14.0 | 2.4% | 17 |
| 57 | Lake Charles, LA | 57.8 | 9.4 | -1.1% | (54) |
| 58 | Yakima, WA | 57.7 | 4.2 | 13.4% | 8 |
| 59 | Ithaca, NY | 56.7 | 3.5 | 1.0% | 4 |
| 60 | Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury Town, MA-NH NECTA Div | 56.4 | 5.6 | 3.7% | (23) |
| 61 | Killeen-Temple, TX | 56.0 | 10.2 | 3.0% | 14 |
| 62 | Logan, UT-ID | 55.9 | 6.1 | 1.7% | 0 |
| 63 | New Bedford, MA NECTA | 55.2 | 5.7 | -7.6% | (62) |
| 64 | Leominster-Gardner, MA NECTA | 54.9 | 3.9 | 0.0% | 21 |
| 65 | Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 54.8 | 4.3 | 3.2% | 32 |
| 66 | Appleton, WI | 54.5 | 13.9 | 3.0% | 51 |
| 67 | Clarksville, TN-KY | 54.4 | 8.9 | 3.5% | 16 |
| 68 | Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL | 54.3 | 5.4 | 4.5% | 45 |
| 69 | Amarillo, TX | 53.4 | 9.8 | 2.8% | 8 |
| 70 | Idaho Falls, ID | 53.3 | 13.7 | 5.1% | 28 |
| 71 | Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Div | 53.0 | 15.4 | -0.2% | (1) |
| 72 | Morgantown, WV | 52.9 | 6.6 | -0.5% | (55) |
| 73 | Muskegon, MI | 52.5 | 3.7 | 5.8% | 3 |
| 74 | Bangor, ME NECTA | 51.8 | 6.7 | 1.0% | 5 |
| 75 | Kingston, NY | 51.8 | 4.6 | 3.0% | 13 |
| 76 | Springfield, OH | 51.2 | 4.7 | -2.1% | (65) |
| 77 | Bellingham, WA | 49.9 | 8.0 | -0.8% | (9) |
| 78 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT NECTA | 49.9 | 14.2 | -0.5% | (43) |
| 79 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | 49.3 | 7.4 | 0.5% | (58) |
| 80 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 48.0 | 3.4 | 14.6% | 40 |
| 81 | Iowa City, IA | 47.9 | 7.0 | 4.5% | 1 |
| 82 | Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA NECTA Div | 47.8 | 7.1 | 0.9% | 19 |
| 83 | Manchester, NH NECTA | 47.2 | 16.0 | -0.8% | (56) |
| 84 | Peabody-Salem-Beverly, MA NECTA Div | 46.8 | 10.3 | 2.0% | 50 |
| 85 | Barnstable Town, MA NECTA | 46.6 | 8.7 | 1.6% | 15 |
| 86 | Fargo, ND-MN | 46.4 | 15.8 | 0.2% | (67) |
| 87 | Billings, MT | 46.4 | 9.1 | 4.6% | 109 |
| 88 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 46.1 | 7.7 | 0.0% | (24) |
| 89 | Mansfield, OH | 45.6 | 5.6 | 3.1% | 93 |
| 90 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 45.3 | 7.7 | 4.0% | 12 |
| 91 | Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | 45.3 | 7.2 | 2.4% | (19) |
| 92 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | 45.1 | 6.3 | 1.1% | 93 |
| 93 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 45.1 | 14.3 | 3.4% | 53 |
| 94 | East Stroudsburg, PA | 44.8 | 3.5 | 0.0% | 12 |
| 95 | Battle Creek, MI | 44.4 | 6.2 | 0.5% | 31 |
| 96 | Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ | 43.9 | 4.3 | -3.7% | 80 |
| 97 | Corvallis, OR | 43.6 | 4.3 | -2.3% | (69) |
| 98 | Macon, GA | 43.2 | 11.6 | 0.3% | (60) |
| 99 | Victoria, TX | 42.9 | 2.6 | 5.3% | (13) |
| 100 | Portsmouth, NH-ME NECTA | 42.5 | 11.5 | -2.8% | (48) |
| 101 | Punta Gorda, FL | 42.2 | 4.5 | -2.9% | (47) |
| 102 | Fond du Lac, WI | 41.8 | 2.7 | -1.2% | (70) |
| 103 | Michigan City-La Porte, IN | 41.4 | 2.8 | 5.0% | 16 |
| 104 | Bismarck, ND | 41.1 | 7.9 | -5.2% | (86) |
| 105 | Burlington, NC | 40.4 | 5.5 | -0.6% | (63) |
| 106 | Danbury, CT NECTA | 40.3 | 9.3 | -1.1% | (12) |
| 107 | Medford, OR | 40.1 | 7.1 | 1.4% | 32 |
| 108 | Columbus, IN | 40.0 | 5.4 | -0.6% | (63) |
| 109 | Dalton, GA | 39.8 | 6.2 | 3.3% | 29 |
| 110 | Grand Forks, ND-MN | 39.7 | 3.1 | 2.2% | 19 |
| 111 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 39.5 | 12.6 | 1.3% | 20 |
| 112 | Tyler, TX | 39.3 | 8.9 | 0.4% | 38 |
| 113 | San Rafael, CA Metro Div | 39.3 | 18.6 | 1.5% | (14) |
| 114 | Rapid City, SD | 39.0 | 5.1 | 1.3% | 10 |
| 115 | Pittsfield, MA NECTA | 38.2 | 4.0 | 0.0% | 25 |
| 116 | Owensboro, KY | 37.7 | 3.9 | -0.8% | (45) |
| 117 | Lewiston, ID-WA | 37.5 | 1.4 | 2.5% | 66 |
| 118 | Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA | 37.4 | 9.7 | 1.7% | (6) |
| 119 | Lawrence, KS | 37.1 | 5.6 | -2.9% | 50 |
| 120 | Abilene, TX | 37.0 | 5.5 | -0.6% | (12) |
| 121 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | 36.7 | 21.2 | 1.8% | (16) |
| 122 | Pueblo, CO | 36.4 | 6.8 | -1.0% | (96) |
| 123 | Texarkana, TX-AR | 36.0 | 4.3 | -0.8% | (67) |
| 124 | Bay City, MI | 35.8 | 3.3 | 3.2% | (43) |
| 125 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 35.6 | 8.1 | 3.9% | 64 |
| 126 | Terre Haute, IN | 35.4 | 5.3 | 4.6% | 21 |
| 127 | Chico, CA | 35.1 | 5.4 | -0.6% | (43) |
| 128 | Saginaw, MI | 34.8 | 11.2 | -0.3% | (87) |
| 129 | Decatur, IL | 34.6 | 3.3 | -2.9% | 16 |
| 130 | St. Cloud, MN | 34.3 | 8.5 | 0.0% | (26) |
| 131 | Utica-Rome, NY | 33.9 | 8.5 | 2.0% | 56 |
| 132 | Walla Walla, WA | 33.9 | 0.9 | 0.0% | (37) |
| 133 | Eau Claire, WI | 33.8 | 9.0 | 0.4% | (18) |
| 134 | Altoona, PA | 33.4 | 5.4 | 0.0% | (1) |
| 135 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME NECTA | 33.3 | 6.8 | -0.5% | (48) |
| 136 | Lima, OH | 33.0 | 4.7 | -4.8% | (58) |
| 137 | Columbus, GA-AL | 32.3 | 12.9 | -0.8% | (1) |
| 138 | Glens Falls, NY | 32.3 | 5.6 | 0.6% | (28) |
| 139 | Las Cruces, NM | 31.5 | 6.8 | -0.5% | 25 |
| 140 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 31.3 | 9.2 | -4.2% | (44) |
| 141 | Bloomington, IN | 31.3 | 4.7 | 4.5% | 53 |
| 142 | Duluth, MN-WI | 31.2 | 8.1 | -0.8% | 13 |
| 143 | Niles-Benton Harbor, MI | 31.2 | 5.6 | -1.8% | (27) |
| 144 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 31.2 | 1.3 | 0.0% | 7 |
| 145 | Gadsden, AL | 31.0 | 3.8 | -8.1% | (121) |
| 146 | Dothan, AL | 31.0 | 4.4 | 1.5% | 35 |
| 147 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | 30.3 | 7.8 | 1.7% | 30 |
| 148 | Santa Fe, NM | 30.2 | 4.5 | -0.7% | (26) |
| 149 | Waterbury, CT NECTA | 29.7 | 5.4 | -1.8% | 19 |
| 150 | Erie, PA | 29.3 | 10.0 | 1.0% | (1) |
| 151 | Pocatello, ID | 28.5 | 3.6 | -5.3% | (77) |
| 152 | Racine, WI | 28.1 | 6.3 | 2.2% | 9 |
| 153 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 27.4 | 9.4 | -2.4% | (63) |
| 154 | Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA | 26.8 | 5.4 | -13.0% | (129) |
| 155 | Sherman-Denison, TX | 26.8 | 2.8 | -6.7% | 17 |
| 156 | El Centro, CA | 26.7 | 2.2 | -6.9% | 10 |
| 157 | Carson City, NV | 26.3 | 1.9 | 3.7% | 33 |
| 158 | Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | 26.3 | 6.9 | -3.7% | (5) |
| 159 | Cheyenne, WY | 26.3 | 3.2 | -1.0% | 21 |
| 160 | Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI NECTA | 26.0 | 8.7 | -1.1% | 0 |
| 161 | Rochester, MN | 25.3 | 5.5 | -2.4% | 13 |
| 162 | Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL | 25.3 | 4.5 | 2.3% | 36 |
| 163 | Dutchess County-Putnam County, NY Metro Div | 25.0 | 11.5 | -0.3% | 23 |
| 164 | Rocky Mount, NC | 24.9 | 5.2 | 0.0% | (5) |
| 165 | Missoula, MT | 24.9 | 6.2 | -2.1% | 10 |
| 166 | Flint, MI | 24.8 | 15.3 | -0.9% | (8) |
| 167 | Dover-Durham, NH-ME NECTA | 24.5 | 3.6 | -10.7% | (98) |
| 168 | Greenville, NC | 24.4 | 6.6 | 0.5% | (27) |
| 169 | Great Falls, MT | 24.3 | 3.0 | -2.2% | (37) |
| 170 | Danville, IL | 23.9 | 2.0 | 1.7% | (35) |
| 171 | Sheboygan, WI | 23.6 | 4.0 | -0.8% | (4) |
| 172 | Fayetteville, NC | 23.5 | 12.2 | -5.7% | (29) |
| 173 | Grand Junction, CO | 23.3 | 5.1 | -3.2% | (31) |
| 174 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 22.8 | 6.1 | -0.5% | 18 |
| 175 | Decatur, AL | 22.6 | 5.2 | -2.5% | 3 |
| 176 | Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 22.3 | 9.9 | -3.9% | (73) |
| 177 | Visalia-Porterville, CA | 22.3 | 10.4 | -8.3% | (54) |
| 178 | Midland, TX | 21.2 | 8.2 | -8.9% | (98) |
| 179 | Bloomington, IL | 21.2 | 9.6 | -2.4% | 14 |
| 180 | Longview, TX | 21.0 | 8.4 | -4.2% | (53) |
| 181 | Lawrence-Methuen Town-Salem, MA-NH NECTA Div | 20.7 | 9.7 | -0.7% | (18) |
| 182 | San Angelo, TX | 20.0 | 3.6 | -2.7% | (17) |
| 183 | Binghamton, NY | 19.9 | 8.9 | -2.6% | 1 |
| 184 | Lynchburg, VA | 18.7 | 11.4 | -3.9% | 4 |
| 185 | Fairbanks, AK | 18.4 | 2.1 | -4.6% | (48) |
| 186 | Albany, OR | 17.7 | 2.9 | -11.1% | (68) |
| 187 | Charleston, WV | 17.4 | 13.5 | -5.6% | (33) |
| 188 | Madera, CA | 17.0 | 2.2 | -1.5% | (95) |
| 189 | Wichita Falls, TX | 16.5 | 3.6 | -5.2% | 2 |
| 190 | Odessa, TX | 15.2 | 3.7 | -8.3% | (17) |
| 191 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 14.0 | 3.8 | -4.2% | (21) |
| 192 | Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 12.8 | 3.8 | -4.2% | 3 |
| 193 | Johnstown, PA | 12.8 | 5.1 | -9.5% | (45) |
| 194 | Merced, CA | 12.0 | 3.5 | -7.9% | 3 |
| 195 | Elmira, NY | 11.1 | 2.2 | -7.1% | (70) |
| 196 | Casper, WY | 10.8 | 2.6 | -8.3% | (17) |
| 197 | Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 9.9 | 1.6 | -17.5% | (53) |
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