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 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 87.6 |
221.1
|
M
|
3
|
7
|
2 | Tulsa, OK | 85.1 |
436.6
|
M
|
36
|
10
|
3 | Lafayette, LA | 84.1 |
151.2
|
M
|
7
|
14
|
4 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 82.3 |
291.0
|
M
|
7
|
19
|
5 | Kansas City, KS | 81.1 |
446.4
|
M
|
11
|
22
|
6 | Corpus Christi, TX | 80.8 |
182.8
|
M
|
28
|
23
|
7 | Baton Rouge, LA | 79.2 |
377.4
|
M
|
10
|
27
|
8 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 77.6 |
180.1
|
M
|
14
|
33
|
9 | Anchorage, AK | 76.7 |
169.7
|
M
|
43
|
35
|
10 | Mobile, AL | 74.7 |
183.3
|
M
|
34
|
37
|
11 | El Paso, TX | 74.6 |
278.8
|
M
|
15
|
39
|
12 | Huntsville, AL | 74.6 |
211.6
|
M
|
-7
|
40
|
13 | Bakersfield, CA | 71.1 |
237.5
|
M
|
-4
|
50
|
14 | Provo-Orem, UT | 70.1 |
188.2
|
M
|
-13
|
54
|
15 | Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC | 69.4 |
295.5
|
M
|
-9
|
58
|
16 | Framingham, MA NECTA Division | 68.7 |
159.5
|
M
|
34
|
62
|
17 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 68.2 |
321.9
|
M
|
-2
|
65
|
18 | Peoria, IL | 67.6 |
189.8
|
M
|
3
|
69
|
19 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO | 67.1 |
207.0
|
M
|
1
|
71
|
20 | Savannah, GA | 66.8 |
157.6
|
M
|
-17
|
73
|
21 | Boulder, CO | 65.9 |
166.9
|
M
|
11
|
79
|
22 | Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division | 65.8 |
277.6
|
M
|
-20
|
81
|
23 | Wichita, KS | 63.8 |
311.0
|
M
|
1
|
88
|
24 | Spokane, WA | 63.7 |
215.9
|
M
|
-10
|
91
|
25 | York-Hanover, PA | 63.7 |
182.9
|
M
|
-2
|
92
|
26 | Albuquerque, NM | 63.0 |
393.5
|
M
|
9
|
94
|
27 | Salem, OR | 61.4 |
150.1
|
M
|
-2
|
100
|
28 | Ogden-Clearfield, UT | 61.1 |
198.0
|
M
|
-20
|
101
|
29 | Springfield, MO | 60.9 |
197.6
|
M
|
-16
|
102
|
30 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 60.0 |
189.3
|
M
|
40
|
105
|
31 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 59.7 |
344.5
|
M
|
-3
|
106
|
32 | Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC | 59.4 |
314.7
|
M
|
-14
|
107
|
33 | Lincoln, NE | 58.9 |
172.4
|
M
|
15
|
109
|
34 | Charleston, WV | 57.5 |
151.5
|
M
|
106
|
114
|
35 | Columbia, SC | 56.6 |
362.1
|
M
|
-16
|
116
|
36 | Montgomery, AL | 55.6 |
176.9
|
M
|
-5
|
123
|
37 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 55.2 |
163.1
|
M
|
3
|
127
|
38 | Syracuse, NY | 54.6 |
325.0
|
M
|
39
|
129
|
39 | Trenton-Ewing, NJ | 54.4 |
238.4
|
M
|
19
|
130
|
40 | Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division | 51.1 |
394.5
|
M
|
29
|
148
|
41 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 50.5 |
340.8
|
M
|
20
|
151
|
42 | Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA | 50.1 |
171.9
|
M
|
14
|
152
|
43 | Madison, WI | 49.2 |
343.6
|
M
|
24
|
158
|
44 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 48.7 |
327.1
|
M
|
30
|
159
|
45 | Fresno, CA | 48.4 |
297.9
|
M
|
0
|
161
|
46 | Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY | 48.4 |
254.8
|
M
|
37
|
162
|
47 | New Haven, CT NECTA | 48.0 |
277.2
|
M
|
32
|
166
|
48 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 47.9 |
214.0
|
M
|
15
|
167
|
49 | Asheville, NC | 47.6 |
172.3
|
M
|
-42
|
168
|
50 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 46.5 |
446.9
|
M
|
31
|
177
|
51 | Lancaster, PA | 46.1 |
235.2
|
M
|
6
|
182
|
52 | Jackson, MS | 45.7 |
258.9
|
M
|
-3
|
184
|
53 | Gary, IN Metropolitan Division | 45.4 |
279.0
|
M
|
19
|
186
|
54 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | 45.3 |
244.3
|
M
|
5
|
188
|
55 | Colorado Springs, CO | 45.1 |
254.2
|
M
|
-14
|
190
|
56 | Boise City-Nampa, ID | 44.8 |
261.6
|
M
|
-44
|
191
|
57 | Winston-Salem, NC | 44.8 |
214.7
|
M
|
-24
|
192
|
58 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 44.8 |
253.6
|
M
|
-16
|
194
|
59 | Knoxville, TN | 44.6 |
330.1
|
M
|
-20
|
195
|
60 | Roanoke, VA | 44.5 |
160.9
|
M
|
20
|
196
|
61 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 44.1 |
205.7
|
M
|
-10
|
200
|
62 | Tallahassee, FL | 42.9 |
175.3
|
M
|
-25
|
202
|
63 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 42.8 |
259.2
|
M
|
15
|
203
|
64 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | 42.6 |
151.7
|
M
|
-28
|
206
|
65 | Green Bay, WI | 42.0 |
166.8
|
M
|
11
|
212
|
66 | Reading, PA | 41.5 |
171.8
|
M
|
7
|
219
|
67 | Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME NECTA | 41.4 |
192.4
|
M
|
-1
|
221
|
68 | Tucson, AZ | 41.4 |
374.1
|
M
|
-22
|
222
|
69 | Akron, OH | 41.2 |
334.0
|
M
|
-5
|
225
|
70 | Worcester, MA-CT NECTA | 40.7 |
245.4
|
M
|
12
|
228
|
71 | Stockton, CA | 39.6 |
204.8
|
M
|
-41
|
233
|
72 | Fort Wayne, IN | 39.5 |
213.4
|
M
|
13
|
235
|
73 | Calvert-Charles-Prince George's, MD | 39.5 |
388.1
|
M
|
-20
|
236
|
74 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT NECTA | 39.0 |
412.8
|
M
|
-12
|
240
|
75 | Springfield, MA-CT NECTA | 37.9 |
293.2
|
M
|
13
|
245
|
76 | Baltimore City, MD | 36.8 |
364.0
|
M
|
16
|
256
|
77 | Rockford, IL | 36.1 |
156.4
|
M
|
-30
|
262
|
78 | Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division | 34.3 |
345.4
|
M
|
-13
|
272
|
79 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 34.2 |
223.0
|
M
|
11
|
273
|
80 | Modesto, CA | 34.1 |
153.6
|
M
|
-5
|
274
|
81 | Evansville, IN-KY | 32.5 |
174.2
|
M
|
3
|
280
|
82 | Canton-Massillon, OH | 31.3 |
169.8
|
M
|
9
|
284
|
83 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 29.8 |
208.0
|
M
|
-40
|
291
|
84 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | 28.9 |
358.0
|
M
|
-29
|
296
|
85 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 27.3 |
164.6
|
M
|
-58
|
302
|
86 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | 24.3 |
376.2
|
M
|
0
|
310
|
87 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 23.9 |
283.8
|
M
|
0
|
311
|
88 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 23.9 |
182.2
|
M
|
-28
|
312
|
89 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 23.4 |
162.8
|
M
|
-35
|
313
|
90 | Reno-Sparks, NV | 23.4 |
206.4
|
M
|
-61
|
314
|
91 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 21.4 |
202.2
|
M
|
-20
|
319
|
92 | Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 20.7 |
230.5
|
M
|
2
|
321
|
93 | Ann Arbor, MI | 20.5 |
193.1
|
M
|
2
|
322
|
94 | Dayton, OH | 20.1 |
388.8
|
M
|
2
|
323
|
95 | Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, FL | 19.6 |
262.4
|
M
|
-27
|
325
|
96 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 17.0 |
154.6
|
M
|
-7
|
327
|
97 | Toledo, OH | 11.8 |
309.5
|
M
|
-4
|
332
|