10 Cities Where The Economy Is Growing FASTER Than Before The Recession (PHOTOS)

The unemployment rate in America hasn't budged of late, but the flat jobless rate may not tell the whole story.

More than a few smaller, dynamic cities have already exceeded economic output levels seen before the recession.

According to a recent Brookings Institution report that examines change in Gross Metropolitan Product -- the value of the goods and services produced in a metropolitan area -- in the 100 largest metropolitan areas across several years, 28 of the areas regained their pre-recession output levels in the fourth quarter.

Here's Brookings:

Twenty-eight metropolitan areas posted new highs in output in the fourth quarter of 2009, exceeding their pre-recession peak output levels. These included Washington, DC, which never lost output during the last five years. Ten additional metropolitan areas registered output levels less than 1 percent below their pre-recession peaks, suggesting that several additional metro areas may move into expansionary territory if they experience similar economic growth going forward.

Of course, these output levels haven't necessarily translated into corresponding job growth, but these are undoubtedly some good signs. Check out the ten metro areas that have shown the best recovery in output:

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#10 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

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The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas metropolitan area saw a 1.5 percent increase in output from its pre-recession peak to fourth quarter 2009, according to the Brookings Institution. The unemployment rate, though, is a bit higher than the national rate at 11.8 percent.

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The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas metropolitan area saw a 1.5 percent increase in output from its pre-recession peak to fourth quarter 2009, according to the Brookings Institution. The unemployment rate, though, is a bit higher than the national rate at 11.8 percent.

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Comments

[ancatdubh]

04:38 PM on 04/16/2010

Texas has had one of the consistently highest poverty rates in the Country. New Mexico too. I guess when the only way is up...

http://www.irp.wisc.edu/faqs/faq3/table2.htm

[jcd8822]

04:44 PM on 04/19/2010

I keep hearing that about Texas, yet everywhere I driven, restaurants are booming 7 days a week, construction is going great guns, the mall parking lots are full, and everyone we come in contact with has a job.

I just do not see it. This is always a big topic of discussion down here, no one else sees it.

Maybe it is our visitors from south of the border who are skewing the figures.

What part of Texas do you live in?

[ibsteve2u]

08:36 PM on 04/20/2010

As the price of oil goes, so goes Texas.

Is why electing a President out of Texas always carries the risk of...adventures...in the oil-bearing regions of the world.

[jcd8822]

05:01 PM on 04/19/2010

I have gone back and reread Texas Poverty 101 Poverty Brief.

I have really thought about this and believe I see where one can be fooled. A lot of the individuals who are considered at the poverty level actually are skewing the figures. They get paid cash for their work, they do not pay taxes and they get free ,medical at the public health clinics. Some of them that I am aware of are apparently making $5 or $6K tax free.

[ibsteve2u]

08:38 PM on 04/20/2010

$5 or $6K? lollll...the name of the person reaping the benefit from that tax-free money is "landlord".

[Hysterian68]

02:16 PM on 04/11/2010

Watch Gov. Rick Perry of Texas make a bid for the GOP nomination in 2012. Apart from his partiality towards NULLIFICATION and SECESSION, he can make a persuasive case for his rigid brand of orthodox Reaganism. Texas has a lot to crow about.

If the economy slumps and unemployment remains stubbornly high, he could easily be the next president in a tidal wave of public support for the extreme right-wing.

[Justin Adams]

10:12 PM on 04/10/2010

What I think is so funny is these stories always show the huge populated areas where there is at least a million or more people. Morgantown, WV Metro Area has grown faster, posted more job gains, and has a lower unemployment rate than all the cities listed here. Go outside the box and list everyone. We're just as much apart of the recovery of this state and country as those large million people areas. Its already a well known fact Morgantown is the fastest growing region in all of West Virginia and will quite possibly surpass Charleston as the most populated city in the state of West Virginia and if continued success continues for both the city and West Virginia University watch for Morgantown to become a major metro area rivaling nearby Pittsburgh and Cleveland in population and size soon. NBC didn't report on "recession proof" Morgantown for just any old reason. It's a great place to live, work, play, and go to school.

[davidwayneosedach]

11:28 AM on 04/10/2010

My picks: Baltimore, San Antonio, and Virginia Beach. I love all three!

[SPYWITNESS]

11:21 AM on 04/24/2010

Darn the bad luck! guess its back to Honolulu for me........

[Seasidesue]

02:47 PM on 04/09/2010

Oh, DO NOT move to the Virginia Beach area based on this information!!! I made the mistake of doing so a year ago after my layoff in Connecticut because of the supposedly lower unemployment and I am still unemployed! What this doesn't tell you is that, as someone else commented, the economy here is completely based on the military industry. Because of this, if you are retired military the jobs aren't too hard to find, but for the rest of us it's a nightmare. Almost every job available requires you to ALREADY HAVE a government security clearance - something most of us from the private sector have never even heard of let alone obtained. Catch-22: you can't get one without a job that requires you to have it, and you can't get the job without it! I am sending resumes out all over the mid-Atlantic and New England now because there's nothing for me here. And, sadly, all this is to say nothing of the extreme lack of sophistication here with regards to just about anything (politics, religion, race relations - you name it). The beaches are beautiful, free and public, but that is the only good thing I have to say about this area.

[Beegowl]

11:39 AM on 04/09/2010

I can tell you this about San Antonio - New Braunfels. The economic indicators may be positive but the quality of life has deteriorated. Too much traffic, too many people, the infrastructure hasn't kept up with population growth, no new commons areas such as parks, playgrounds, etc., more pollution, more crime, more paving over of the Hill Country; all of it in the name of progress and growing the economy. Where is the quality of life factored in? It isn't. The wealth disparity is hidden from the tourists to the area. Schools are cutting back for lack of funding. Gov Perry rejects federal education dollars because it violates conservative principles.

[FreeSpeech4All]

02:50 PM on 04/09/2010

In other words, it's suffering most of the same issues as most American cities. The numbers in this article are largely useless, because they don't tell the whole story.

[jcd8822]

05:49 PM on 04/19/2010

Now, why would they want to ruin it for you and tell you the whole story? They think surprises are better, especially if you went to the trouble of moving there. LOL

[News2010]

12:47 AM on 04/09/2010

Yeah, Virginia Beach...sound interesting, what the author doesn't tell you is that the reason for lower unemployment is because the navy and military is here! Tons of them!!!! Just in the past 3 years they finally built a couple of better areas, more cosmopolitan with a few better restaurants, otherwise most of the rest is full of the same old Dollar Stores, Claire's, Pay-less shoes, Walmarts and hamburger joints and low end restaurants with bad food, not to mention the worst hotels and boardwalk shops ever, so kitsch! during the summer time is full of cheap tourist, I live in probably one of the best neighborhoods, so i rather stay home or go to the beach close by which is nice when is not packed during the summer time, otherwise my pool does the job rather than mingling around mediocre shopping centers and restaurants, you get the picture! On a positive note, there are a few nice neighborhoods but for the most part they are very average, we have a few beach areas and it is close to Washington D.C, and Williamsburg which are nice places to visit. I know I must sound arrogant, but I am just telling you how I see it!. Can't wait to get out of here, specially now with McDonnell as the governor! Oh, oh, not to mention, CBN, you know, Pat Robertson's empire, the crazy fanatic irresponsible religious freak! that should tell you everything, enough said.

[RICHINVB]

04:53 PM on 04/22/2010

I have been here 20+ years and love it. If your moving give me a shout and sell me your house cheap.

Town Center
Sandler Center
First Landing State Park
Chesapeake and Chick's Beach
4 Disc Golf courses
Plenty of Golf (with the little white ball)
Mt Trashmore
Tides Baseball at HarborPark
ODU Football GO MONARCHS!!!!
Little Island Park
Sandbridge
Excellent Nationally recognized sports
Sports Complex
Softball Paradise
Cruise Ship Port
The Arizona
Oh well - just to name a very few of the numerous things to partake of in the Hampton Roads area. Pessimistic people will also see the glass half empty but I tend to look for the positive things wherever I may find myself.

[RICHINVB]

05:00 PM on 04/22/2010

I know the Arizona is a sunken ship museum but I was hoping that would attract attention so I know people read this.

We do have the Wisconsin though near the Nauticus Museum in Norfolk. :)

[research]

08:41 PM on 04/08/2010

faster, from WHAT?

CDS credit default swaps, derivatives?

what good will that do?

[ResearchtheFacts]

08:21 PM on 04/08/2010

My city made the list. The picture is like one hundred years old and does not reflect the beauty. But the quality of life here is good.

[RKTesq]

06:57 PM on 04/08/2010

I only count seven. Well, okay, there are three others in Texas, but it's not as though anyone would actually want to LIVE in Texas.

[Waggin the tail]

07:40 PM on 04/08/2010

100 % agreement. I don't even like to change flights in that state.

[ancatdubh]

04:28 PM on 04/16/2010

Dallas Airport is miserable!!

[wagadog]

09:41 PM on 04/08/2010

Hunh? Texas is teh awesome. I love it here.

[James Leo]

06:34 PM on 04/08/2010

Aren't many of those cities driven by Immigration? I know Latinos/Hispanics/Mexican Americans get a bd rap today but in the Hudson Valley they are a force of revitalization!! They are moving in cities like Poughkeepsie and Newburgh and turning them around They are rebuilding them with their own hands, establishing retail stores and restaurants. and don't forget the soccer fields and teams.
You can taste real Mole` and guacamole , see a great soccer game and hear real conjunto` music. complete with guitars, bajo sextos and accordions (Mariachis on the weekends) Crime is actually down in these areas

[wagadog]

09:47 PM on 04/08/2010

Awesome! I love to hear stuff like this. It is so true. Get any Oaxacan Tamaleo there? Biggest and best tamales on earth are Centroamericano, wrapped in banana leaf.

http://www.tamaleo.com/

[wolfman01]

05:00 PM on 04/08/2010

The funny thing is that they keep "factoring in inflation".
We currently have no inflation, but have deflation instead. It's what happens in a large economic recession. Therefore, their figures are faulty. Our economy is still contracting, and no amount of "shovel ready jobs" can change that fact. All those sovel ready jobs aren't helping the situation, they're hurting it. What earthly good can a job that lasts 30, 60 or 90 days do? We need carreers, not jobs. Permenant carreers.

I just love it when libtasrds keep talking about things they don't understand. they show themselves to be the fools they are.

[tompoe]

05:19 PM on 04/08/2010

Food, gas, rent prices up significantly, so what deflation are you talking about? Tiddly winks?

[verycold]

06:05 PM on 04/08/2010

The price of an average plane ticket is a tad over 300.00. A couple years ago it was 335.00. Does that seem possible with rising fuel prices, not including all the other expenses involved in the airlines?

35 percent of a small business(less than 500 employees) said they will be laying off more people this year. About 15 percent said they would be hiring with the remainder staying the same. Overall that looks like contraction is still happening.

BTW, more jobs will be lost if more companies continue to merge.

We shouldn't even count temporary jobs. We should also use the correct unemployment figures which includes many groups and is more like 18 percent.

[mratcheson]

05:24 PM on 04/08/2010

The prices I pay have risen noticeably over the past year or two. In what city are you?

[Dilz]

04:59 PM on 04/08/2010

Whoever chooses images for HuffPo should be given another task. HuffPo should shell out the cash for a moderately competent graphic designer to sort through whatever stock library you guys use. P.S. the image of Ausitn you used is over 10 years old. Get it together.

[Citizen0]

05:25 PM on 04/08/2010

I suspect the San Antonio photo is quite old too - people are using a public pay phone.

[FreeSpeech4All]

02:54 PM on 04/09/2010

Welcome to my world. I used to make a decent living as a stock photographer. Now Huffpo and any of my former clients can download an image from istockphoto or one of those other sites for two bucks. Why on earth would they want to pay someone like me for a decent quality, up-to-date image when they don't have to?

[playon]

04:26 PM on 04/08/2010

So now 7% is "relatively low" unemployment!

[tompoe]

05:21 PM on 04/08/2010

These are desperate folks trying to keep their jobs with corporate media. Just ride with them, would 'ya?

[spotswood320]

04:00 PM on 04/08/2010

If the two largest metro areas in Virginia have experienced the 1st and 3rd-best recoveries in the nation, why is our state suffering so many budget cuts?

[Keith Ward]

04:19 PM on 04/08/2010

The rest of the state is lagging FAR behind. Remember, those two areas of VA are heavily into government contracts and would rebound much faster because of them.
I live just outside of Richmond. I just read that almost 20% of Richmond is on unemployment... and there are NO significant jobs opening up. Significant is making enough to live on, not just those $7.00/hour jobs that put you further in the hole.
On a personal note: I was laid-off the end of February. With all the job apps I've filled out, I have not received a single reply. I'm now taking online courses to change job fields.

[DANOSC]

04:29 PM on 04/08/2010

I find it hard to believe that unemployment in Richmond is 20%--very hard to believe since the major industries there are government, government, and government--oh, and banking and higher education. I suspect Richmond's unemployment rate is no higher than 10% and I'd be willing to wager its much lower.

[News2010]

12:53 AM on 04/09/2010

Agree with you, some people seem to live in denial! And like going to work for the government is the easiest thing...and the rest of the jobs are worthless, perhaps for a high school student or someone who is lucky to land a job because of his education level, otherwise, good luck!!!!

[Citizen0]

05:25 PM on 04/08/2010

In honor of the Confederacy and a devotion to small government.

[ResearchtheFacts]

08:19 PM on 04/08/2010

Stick a fork in Bob McDonnell he's done. Today they announced he's in hiding dodging the press. Well you know its all down hill after that.