POLICOM annually ranks the 383 Metropolitan Statistical Areas and 550 Micropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States for “economic strength” which is the long-term tendency for an area to consistently grow in both size and quality.

“The top rated areas have had rapid, consistent growth in both size and quality for an extended period of time,” William H. Fruth, President of POLICOM. POLICOM, located in Palm City, FL, specializes in analyzing local and state economies and advising communities on how to improve them.

“The rankings do not reflect the latest ‘hotspot’ or boom town, but the areas which have the best economic foundation,” Fruth continued.

The study measures twenty-three different economic factors over a twenty-year period. The formulas determine how an economy has behaved over an extended period of time. Data stretching from 1997 to 2016 was used for this study. POLICOM has created this study each year since 1997.

2018 Ten Strongest Metropolitan Areas

1 Austin-Round Rock, TX (MSA)

2 Napa, CA (MSA)

3 Seattle-Tacoma, WA (MSA)

4 Nashville-Davidson, TN (MSA)

5 San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA (MSA)

6 Indianapolis-Carmel, IN (MSA)

7 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (MSA)

8 Salt Lake City, UT (MSA)

9 Raleigh, NC (MSA)

10 Denver-Aurora, CO (MSA)

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