Temple Area Cracks the Top 20 in Economic Development Ratings

The 2008 Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best Performing Cities Index ranks U.S. metropolitan areas by how well they are creating and sustaining jobs and by economic growth. In the 2008
index, the Temple-Killeen-Fort Hood area ranks 13th among large metro areas, up from 33rd place last year. The Temple-Killeen-Fort Hood area ranks higher than the San Antonio (15th), Houston (16th), Dallas (23rd), Fort Worth (29th) and El Paso (37th) areas.

Among Texas' large metro areas in the index, only the Austin and McAllen areas performed better than Temple-Killeen-Fort Hood. The Milken index ranked the Provo-Orem, Utah, area first overall, while Raleigh-Cary, N.C., came in second and Salt Lake City was third.

"For the Temple area, 13 is a very lucky number," Lee Peterson, president of the Temple Economic Development Corp., said. "The Temple area's showing in the Milken study demonstrates the value of the region's workforce and infrastructure and its low cost of doing business."

On the Milken index, the Temple-Killeen-Fort Hood area scored particularly well in the areas of wage and salary growth, and job growth.

"We're in great company in the Milken study, beating the likes of Seattle, Nashville and Phoenix," Peterson said. "Temple is clearly demonstrating that it's a top-notch place for jobs, business opportunities and quality of life."

For more information about the Milken index, visit
bestcities.milkeninstitute.org
www.milkeninstitute.org