Utah’s economy is distinguished as the best in the nation for its strong business environment and job creation growth. The Best-Performing Cities 2024 report by the Milken Institute focuses on sustainable growth and resilience in U.S. metropolitan areas, and showcased Utah once again. The 403 cities surveyed in the report were placed in their rankings regarding opportunities for job growth, wages and high-tech industry growth.
Utah stood out in the report for making two out of the top five spots in this year’s rankings for large city growth and fourth in the small cities growth category.
Top 5 large cities:
- Austin-Round Rock, Texas.
- Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Boise City, Idaho.
- Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Provo-Orem, Utah.
Top 5 small cities:
- Idaho Falls, Idaho.
- Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
- Gainesville, Georgia.
- St. George, Utah.
- Twin Falls, Idaho.
Salt Lake City’s jump in the ranks
Utah’s capital has seen remarkable growth, particularly in high-tech GDP and wages over the past five years, which propelled the city up in the rankings, surpassing Provo for the first time since 2012.