Ogden, Salt Lake named best-performing cities
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Ogden and Salt Lake City are among the top three best-performing large cities in the nation, according to an annual report ranking metros across a range of economic factors.
State of play: The Milken Institute's yearly rankings highlight U.S. cities with job growth, affordable housing, economic equality and other big draws.
The big picture: Utah is a major winner, with Ogden and Salt Lake City ranking second and third.
- "Ogden's impressive rise from last year's ranking" — up 24 places — "stems from big improvements in its recent labor market performance," per the report.
- Salt Lake, which jumped one spot, combines "a robust job market, a growing high-tech sector, and widespread access to economic opportunities."
Yes, but: Layoffs slowed Salt Lake's job growth between 2022-23, according to the report.
The intrigue: St. George placed second best among smaller cities, behind Gainesville, Georgia, moving up two spots from 2024.
Zoom out: Cities have largely emerged from the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 pandemic and "remain at the center of economic activity," as the report puts it.
- Raleigh, North Carolina moved up to the top spot this year after coming second in 2024 and third in 2023.
Rounding out the top 10: Huntsville, Alabama; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Austin, Texas; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Olympia, Washington; Palm Bay, Florida and Boise City, Idaho.
Zoom in: Some smaller cities are growing thanks to lower housing costs and better economic equality, per the report, which highlights job and wage growth in places like St. George and Auburn, Alabama.
How it works: The annual rankings from Milken — a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank — are based on its Best Performing Cities index, which takes into account cities' labor markets, tech industry growth and economic access.
Reality check: The report doesn't explicitly look at other quality-of-life factors people may consider when picking a place to live, like traffic congestion, public transit access, park space, etc.
The bottom line: If you're searching for a booming city that isn't New York, Chicago or L.A., give this list a look.