Best Performing Cities according to the Milken Institute

1. Fayetteville, Ark.
2. Las Vegas, Nev.
3. Fort Myers, Fla.
4. West Palm Beach, Fla.
5. San Diego, Calif.
6. San Luis Obispo, Calif.
7. Laredo, Texas
8. Brownsville, Texas
9. McAllen, Texas
10. Monmouth, N.J.


Of the top 10 most-populous U.S. metros, Washington, D.C. scored the highest, followed by Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, New York and, lastly, Detroit.

One trend this year is the success of many cities where government and higher education – which are less susceptible to business cycles – play an important role in the local economy.