20 Recession-Proof Cities

The economic news isn't universally doom and gloom. The Daily Beast crunches the numbers to rank the metropolitan areas gaining momentum with high pay and sustained economic growth.

AP Photo

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---jacksonville-nc_h0g5ib — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 7.5%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 21.5%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 11.7%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $46,615
AP Photo

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---fort-hood-tx_nybrdb — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 7.2%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 9.9%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 9.5%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $44,612
Joe Raedle / Getty Images

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---fayetteville_zj9o3l — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 4.5%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 12.0%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 8.2%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $42,932
Karen Tam / AP Photo

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---baton-rouge-la_hwqxap — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 2.9%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 4.8%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 6.7%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $37,653

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---cedar-rapids-ia_ukyblr — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 3.4%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 2.6%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 5.8%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $41,871

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---iowa-city-ia_vpxrho — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 2.3%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 2.4%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 6.1%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $40,036

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---harrisburg-carlisle-pa_zkhc8f — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.4%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 2.6%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 3.1%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $39,208

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---cheyenne_tkls4u — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.7%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 2.5%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 7.1%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $43,756
Spencer Platt / Getty Images

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---worcester-ma_ngwmck — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.2%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.9%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 3.4%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $40,734

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---washington-dc_ocjrik — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.4%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.3%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 4.2%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $40,397
Drew Angerer / AP Photo

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---oklahoma-city-ok_qakuau — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.4%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 2.0%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 8.2%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $40,925

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---rochester-mn_n7dncy — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 2.1%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.1%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 2.7%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $42,723
Jody McNary Photography / Flickr

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---philadelphia_qu7qvv — Employment increase '07 - '09: 0.9%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.3%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 3.0%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $36,464
AP Photo

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---lafayette_lhxhbv — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.9%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.0%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 5.8%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $40,250
Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor / Getty Images

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---rapid-city-sd_wn5bu9 — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.2%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.4%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 6.0%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $38,166

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---des-moines-west-des-moines-ia_tgbia8 — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.9%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.1%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 3.1%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $45,834

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---rochester-ny_sq1t8q — Employment increase '07 - '09: 0.1%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 1.4%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 3.7%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $39,476
Jim Laragy, Bloomberg News / Getty Images

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---olympia_m8lsch — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.6%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.3%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 3.7%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $37,967
Ted S. Warren / AP Photo

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---new-haven_stnnrn — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.1%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.9%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 2.7%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $37,728
AP Photo

galleries/2010/08/27/20-recession-proof-cities/momentum-cities---roanoke-va_o5cw2u — Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.1%
Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 0.3%
GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 2.5%

Adjusted per capita personal income: $41,008

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