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.

Overall Rank: 26 / 1-Year Job Growth: 4.8% / 5-Year Job Growth: 12.0% / Index Score: 84.2