Oklahoma City, Austin and Omaha are the highest-rated markets in September's version of the On Numbers Economic Index, which measures the economic health of 102 major metropolitan areas.
Oklahoma City
The top eight metros, in fact, are far from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. All eight lie within a triangle that has Houston, Pittsburgh and Denver as its endpoints.
No. 9 Boston is the strongest market on either coast. Only four other coastal metros -- Charleston, S.C. (13th), Portland, Maine (16th), San Jose (17th) and Honolulu (20th) -- are in the national top 20.
The On Numbers Economic Index is generated by an 18-part formula that assesses private-sector job growth, unemployment, earnings, housing-price appreciation, and construction and retail activity.
The top three:
1. Oklahoma City: Workers' earnings have grown faster in Oklahoma City than in any other market during the past year (11.9 percent), and the unemployment rate (4.8 percent) is lower than anywhere but Omaha.
2. Austin: The Texas capital is setting the pace for private-sector job growth, boosting local employment by 7.1 percent since 2007.
3. Omaha: The jobless rate in Omaha, as noted above, is the best among all 102 metros, 4.7 percent. Compare that to the national rate of 8.3 percent.
Go here for the entire report: http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2012/09/oklahoma-city-leads-heartlands-sweep.html?appSession=123101068611228