30 Cities to Restart Your Career

Small business growth rate: 0.8
Number of small businesses: 93,383
Personal income per capita: $43,568
Percent unemployed: 8.7
Cost of living index score: 91.9
Charity-conscious rank: 2
Best cities for college rank: n/a

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---omaha_xpcmwa

Small business growth rate: -3.6
Number of small businesses: 17,312
Personal income per capita: $42,412
Percent unemployed: 4.9
Cost of living index score: 88.2
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: n/a

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---dallas_kps82f

Small business growth rate: -0.3
Number of small businesses: 105,319
Personal income per capita: $39,514
Percent unemployed: 8.4
Cost of living index score: 91.9
Charity-conscious rank: 3
Best cities for college rank: n/a

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---midland_u0si9p

Small business growth rate: -4.1
Number of small businesses: 3,567
Personal income per capita: $49,441
Percent unemployed: 5.6
Cost of living index score: 93.8
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: n/a

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galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---washington-dc_hu8oxp

Small business growth rate: -0.8
Number of small businesses: 111,930
Personal income per capita: $56,442
Percent unemployed: 6.2
Cost of living index score: 139.7
Charity-conscious rank: 10
Best cities for college rank: 3

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---seattle_ibode4

Small business growth rate: 1.2
Number of small businesses: 81,757
Personal income per capita: $48,976
Percent unemployed: 8.5
Cost of living index score: 120.2
Charity-conscious rank: 15
Best cities for college rank: 5

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---nashville-davidson-murfreesboro-franklin-tn_qydfyv

Small business growth rate: -1.1
Number of small businesses: 29,066
Personal income per capita: $38,266
Percent unemployed: 8.8
Cost of living index score: 88.9
Charity-conscious rank: 26
Best cities for college rank: 10

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---pittsburgh-pa_jds2yc

Small business growth rate: -5.5
Number of small businesses: 46,604
Personal income per capita: $42,216
Percent unemployed: 8.2
Cost of living index score: 91.8
Charity-conscious rank: 1
Best cities for college rank: 6

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---denver-aurora-broomfield-co_n1jz5v

Small business growth rate: -2.1
Number of small businesses: 60,503
Personal income per capita: $45,982
Percent unemployed: 8.1
Cost of living index score: 103.4
Charity-conscious rank: 11
Best cities for college rank: 12

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---tulsa-ok_fanpjz

Small business growth rate: -4.2
Number of small businesses: 19,559
Personal income per capita: $39,442
Percent unemployed: 7.6
Cost of living index score: 88.0
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: n/a

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/pot-smoking-cities---new-york_y0c1d1

Small business growth rate: -1.0
Number of small businesses: 471,661
Personal income per capita: $52,375
Percent unemployed: 8.8
Cost of living index score: 168.3
Charity-conscious rank: 9.0
Best cities for college rank: 2

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/momentum-cities---des-moines-west-des-moines-ia_r6992i

Small business growth rate: -5.2
Number of small businesses: 11,409
Personal income per capita: $41,790
Percent unemployed: 6.5
Cost of living index score: 91.2
Charity-conscious rank: 31
Best cities for college rank: n/a

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/pot-smoking-cities---boston_j2uc0t

Small business growth rate: -2.9
Number of small businesses: 101,633
Personal income per capita: $53,713
Percent unemployed: 7.6
Cost of living index score: 131.1
Charity-conscious rank: 12
Best cities for college rank: 4

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/eligible-batchelors---minneapolis_timcni

Small business growth rate: -3.3
Number of small businesses: 74,513
Personal income per capita: $45,750
Percent unemployed: 7
Cost of living index score: 110.3
Charity-conscious rank: 8
Best cities for college rank: 9

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/muslim-cities---san-francisco_ipet8g

Small business growth rate: -1.3
Number of small businesses: 99,599
Personal income per capita: $59,696
Percent unemployed: 10.6
Cost of living index score: 162.5
Charity-conscious rank: 4
Best cities for college rank: 1

Michael Paulsen / AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---fargo-nd_dkguri

Small business growth rate: -4.0
Number of small businesses: 4,927
Personal income per capita: $39,159
Percent unemployed: 3.7
Cost of living index score: 93.3
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: 20

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galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---little-rock-ar_xrkryr

Small business growth rate: -4.5
Number of small businesses: 14,033
Personal income per capita: $38,750
Percent unemployed: 7.1
Cost of living index score: 87.7
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: n/a

Henryk Sadura

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/smartest-cities---st-louis_ywsfa6

Small business growth rate: -4.6
Number of small businesses: 55,769
Personal income per capita: $40,342
Percent unemployed: 9.9
Cost of living index score: 90.0
Charity-conscious rank: 20
Best cities for college rank: n/a

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---colorado-springs-co_sfhwco

Small business growth rate: -2.6
Number of small businesses: 13,722
Personal income per capita: $38,448
Percent unemployed: 8.7
Cost of living index score: 91.8
Charity-conscious rank: 18
Best cities for college rank: n/a

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/momentum-cities---lafayette_h2dlka

Small business growth rate: -0.5
Number of small businesses: 7,074
Personal income per capita: $38,944
Percent unemployed: 6.6
Cost of living index score: 96.8
Charity-conscious rank: 31
Best cities for college rank: n/a

Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor / Getty Images

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---fort-hood-tx_xoimou

Small business growth rate: -4.6
Number of small businesses: 4,443
Personal income per capita: $38,757
Percent unemployed: 7.9
Cost of living index score: 86.9
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: n/a

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---bismarck-nd_bmkjmw

Small business growth rate: -3.3
Number of small businesses: 2,815
Personal income per capita: $38,311
Percent unemployed: 3.1
Cost of living index score: 93.3
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: n/a

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---manhattan-ks_ecge4g

Small business growth rate: -4.8
Number of small businesses: 2,249
Personal income per capita: $40,345
Percent unemployed: 5.3
Cost of living index score: 94.6
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: n/a

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galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/stress-schools---university-of-nc-chapel-hill_rjatev

Small business growth rate: -3.6
Number of small businesses: 9,191
Personal income per capita: $40,116
Percent unemployed: 7.3
Cost of living index score: 96.3
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: 7

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/worst-real-estate-cities---jacksonville_j6rpf8

Small business growth rate: 0.2
Number of small businesses: 27,996
Personal income per capita: $38,801
Percent unemployed: 11.9
Cost of living index score: 92.1
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: n/a

iStockPhoto.com

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/smartest-cities---oklahoma-city_saclsa

Small business growth rate: -2.2
Number of small businesses: 26,197
Personal income per capita: $37,909
Percent unemployed: 6.3
Cost of living index score: 92.6
Charity-conscious rank: n/a
Best cities for college rank: 20

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/smartest-cities---baltimore_rnxt2c

Small business growth rate: -2.3
Number of small businesses: 54,793
Personal income per capita: $47,962
Percent unemployed: 8.2
Cost of living index score: 119.3
Charity-conscious rank: 30
Best cities for college rank: 6

Greg Pease / Getty Images

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---san-diego_oqm6vq

Small business growth rate: -0.3
Number of small businesses: 64,488
Personal income per capita: $45,630
Percent unemployed: 10.6
Cost of living index score: 131.6
Charity-conscious rank: 13
Best cities for college rank: 8

galleries/2010/10/06/30-cities-to-restart-your-career/cities-start-over---birmingham_kpc3od

Small business growth rate: -3.9
Number of small businesses: 20,773
Personal income per capita: $38,468
Percent unemployed: 8.9
Cost of living index score: 90.5
Charity-conscious rank: 31
Best cities for college rank: n/a

30 Cities to Restart Your Career

BP oil rig engineer Blair Manuel was not even supposed to be working when he and 10 co-workers were killed in the Gulf of Mexico explosion a year ago. His daughter tells Rick Outzen the anniversary is about honoring her father, not lawsuits or pointing fingers.