Despite high-profile corporate losses like GM in recent months, the Oklahoma City metro area is improving dramatically in creating and sustaining jobs. So says the prestigious Milken Institute in the 2005 edition of their yearly "Best Performing Cities" rankings.
The Milken Institute
Founded in 1991, the Milken Institute is an independent economic think tank that says their mission is "...to improve the lives and economic conditions of diverse populations in the U.S. and around the world by helping business and public policy leaders identify and implement innovative ideas for creating broad-based prosperity." They are nonpartisan, public and not for profit.2005 is the 3rd year of their "Best Performing Cities Report," an index of 379 US cities with the intent of measuring by job creation, salary improvements and technological growth.
Oklahoma City
While not nearly one of the top cities, Oklahoma City ranked #65 on the 2005 list, a dramatic improvement from 2004's standing at #142 and far above Tulsa at #180.For the 2nd year in a row, cities in Florida graded out the highest. The metro area of Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville jumped from #31 to the top spot while last year's #1, Cape Coral-Fort Meyers, fell to #2. Here are this year's top 10 cities with last year's ranking in parentheses:
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla. (31)
- Cape Coral-Fort Meyers, Fla. (1)
- Naples-Marco Island, Fla. (15)
- McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas (18)
- Deltona-Dayton Beach-Ormond Beach, Fla. (5)
- Orlando-Kissimmee, Fla. (29)
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Va.-Md.-W.Va. (11)
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.-Mo. (7)
- Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, Fla. (9)
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Ca. (8)
