Boomtowns '06: Hottest Small Cities

Overall Rank 13 | 1-Year Job Growth 3.6% | 5-Year Job Growth 17.0% | Index Score 93.1

11 Panama City-Lynn Haven, Florida
Tourists pump nearly $1.5 billion into the economy, providing more than 14,000 jobs. Uncle Sam also provides a boost, with an Air Force base and Naval Support Center that farm out business to local contractors.

Overall Rank 14 | 1-Year Job Growth 5.0% | 5-Year Job Growth 15.5% | Index Score 92.2

12 Morgantown, West Virginia
Home to West Virginia University, Morgantown is a magnet for the health care industry. Major employers include two large hospitals, several government labs, and companies such as generic drug maker Mylan.

Overall Rank 15 | 1-Year Job Growth 3.3% | 5-Year Job Growth 14.7% | Index Score 92.1

13 Prescott, Arizona
Settled during the gold rush days of the 1800s, Prescott is experiencing a boom among seniors. They're drawn to the city's numerous retirement communities, mild climate, and historic downtown area.

Overall Rank 16 | 1-Year Job Growth 4.5% | 5-Year Job Growth 19.6% | Index Score 92.1

14 Bend, Oregon
Bend's population has more than tripled, to about 70,000, over the past 15 years, with refugees from Portland and California drawn by a scenic location and low cost of living. The influx has transformed a timber-based economy, bringing in manufacturing, aerospace, and semiconductor firms.

Overall Rank 17 | 1-Year Job Growth 4.7% | 5-Year Job Growth 18.3% | Index Score 90.6

15 El Centro, California
Located in the state's southeast corner, El Centro has been riding the same global trade wave as other U.S. border towns. It also owes its growth to the Department of Homeland Security, which has boosted its hiring of security and customs personnel to police the busy border with Mexicali.

Overall Rank 18 | 1-Year Job Growth 7.3% | 5-Year Job Growth 14.5% | Index Score 90.1

16 Logan, Utah
Logan's longtime meatpacking plants and dairy processors have been joined by a host of biotech and communications firms drawn by the brainpower of Utah State University and a shiny new fiber optic infrastructure.

Overall Rank 21 | 1-Year Job Growth 3.6% | 5-Year Job Growth 17.4% | Index Score 87.8

17 Punta Gorda, Florida
Local firms have created 2,200 new jobs over the past two years, many of them in health care, IT, and specialty contracting tied to rebuilding after last year's hurricanes. Relatively low home prices attract newcomers.

Overall Rank 22 | 1-Year Job Growth 4.2% | 5-Year Job Growth 14.0% | Index Score 87.5

18 Greeley, Colorado
Historically an agricultural powerhouse, Greeley, located about 60 miles northeast of Denver, has made a new-economy transition, with a top-notch acute-care facility in the area, two ethanol plants on the way, and a strong manufacturing presence. The city has seen 14 percent growth in service jobs since 2003.

Overall Rank 23 | 1-Year Job Growth 3.8% | 5-Year Job Growth 13.6% | Index Score 85.2

19 Winchester, Virginia
Located 80 miles outside Washington, D.C., and home to Shenandoah University, Winchester is absorbing people priced out of northern Virginia communities like Fairfax. Growth has been particularly robust among federal government agencies, which boosted employment nearly 20 percent in 2005.

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