23. Greeley, Colorado
Total score: 64.7
Job and economy rank: 5
About 50 miles north of Denver, Greeley is a small city with a population of roughly 107,000.
22. Spring Valley, Nevada
Total score: 65.42
Job and economy rank: 121
Spring Valley has a population of 200,000 and sits right between Las Vegas and Red Rock Canyon. It was also just named one of the best places to live in the US.
Read more: The 25 best places to live in America
21. Sugar Land, Texas
Total score: 65.52
Job and economy rank: 472
Just southwest of Houston, Sugar Land has a population of 118,600.
20. Santa Clarita, California
Total score: 65.58
Job and economy rank: 42
With a population of 210,000, Santa Clarita is the third-largest city in Los Angeles County. It is just outside of the city of Los Angeles and its main attraction is a Six Flags.
19. Arden-Arcade, California
Total score: 66.11
Job and economy rank: 277
Arden-Arcade has a population slightly under 100,000 and is best known as a suburb of Sacramento.
Read more: San Francisco residents are fleeing to what may be the most earthquake-proof city in California
18. Miami, Florida
Total score: 66.54
Job and economy rank: 24
Miami has a population of nearly 471,000. The area's biggest employers include Publix Super Markets, Baptist Health, and the University of Miami, according to the South Florida Business Journal.
17. Milpitas, California
Total score: 66.54
Job and economy rank: 30
Milpitas, a small California city located between San Jose and Fremont, has a population of 80,000.
16. Concord, North Carolina
Total score: 66.91
Job and economy rank: 95
Concord, best known as a suburb of Charlotte, has a population of 94,000. According to the Triad Business Journal, the largest employers in the area are Spectrum, Walmart Inc., and Atrium Health.
15. Austin, Texas
Total score: 67.3
Job and economy rank: 36
Austin has a population of roughly 964,000. With live music, a booming tech scene, and 150 new residents arriving daily, US News just ranked Austin as the best place to live in America.
14. Midland, Texas
Total score: 67.46
Job and economy rank: 99
Midland is in West Texas, between Forth Worth and El Paso, and has a population of 142,000. Midland has always been an oil city, and in 2016, it was even the highest-earning metro area in the US.
13. McKinney, Texas
Total score: 69.23
Job and economy ranking: 129
McKinney has a population of 192,000 and is roughly 30 miles from Dallas. It also has the most expensive high school football stadium in the country — it cost $70 million to build and seats 12,000.
12. Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Total score: 69.96
Job and economy rank: 122
Murfreesboro, typically recognized for its Civil War history, is southwest of Nashville and has a population of 141,000.
Read more: RaceTrac Celebrates Tennessee Expansion with Murfreesboro Groundbreaking
11. College Station, Texas
Total score: 70.54
Job and economy ranking: 50
The focal point of College Station is Texas A&M University, which houses the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. It has a population of 116,000.
10. Round Rock, Texas
Total score: 70.99
Job and economy rank: 28
With a population of nearly 129,000, Round Rock is a part of the greater Austin metropolitan area. Round Rock and Austin are frequently linked, as they were earlier this year in a Business Insider list of the best places for startups.
Read more: The 20 US cities where everyone's moving to
9. Cape Coral, Florida
Total score: 71.56
Job and economy rank: 11
Cape Coral is adjacent to Fort Myers, which is also on this list, and has a population of 189,000. Business Insider previously reported that Cape Coral has a high percentage of vacation homes.
Read more: The 15 Florida cities everyone in the country is moving to
8. Saint George, Utah
Total score: 72.42
Job and economy rank: 2
Saint George has a population of 171,000. It also has a healthy job market with an unemployment rate at 2.8%, the lowest it has been in the city since 2007. SkyWest Airlines is headquartered in Saint George.
7. Meridian, Idaho
Total score: 73.76
Job and economy rank: 125
Meridian, the third-largest city in Idaho, has a population of nearly 107,000. The city's motto is "Built for business, designed for living."
6. Fort Myers, Florida
Total score: 73.88
Job and economy ranking: 13
Fort Myers, a popular beach home destination, has a population of 82,000 and serves as the headquarters of the women's retailer Chico's and the clinical laboratory Neogenomics.
5. Frisco, Texas
Total score: 74.25
Job and economy ranking: 155
Frisco is part of the Dallas metro area and has a population of 188,000. The median home value in Frisco is $396,800, making it one of the best cities to buy a home in right now.
Read more: The 15 best cities in the US to buy a home
4. Enterprise, Nevada
Total score: 76.62
Job and economy ranking: 65
Enterprise has a population just over 108,000. It is near Las Vegas and in addition to being one of the fastest-growing cities in the US, it is also a popular choice for buying a vacation home. Business Insider previously reported that 7.04% of the homes in the area are secondary homes.
3. Bend, Oregon
2. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Total score: 79.47
Job and Economy rank: 37
Mount Pleasant, just across the bridge from Charleston, has a population just over 89,000. According to the Post and Courier, that's a 27.5% increase since 2010.
Read more: The 15 best cities in the world, ranked
1. Lehigh Acres, Florida
Total score: 82.11
Job and economy rank: 3
Lehigh Acres is a predominantly residential area near Fort Myers and Cape Coral, which are also on this list. It has a population of nearly 118,000. According to Data USA, Lehigh Acres recently saw a 6.77% growth in employees and a 6.98% growth in the median household income.
