20 Recession-Proof Cities

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

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.