City & Metro Economies

How major U.S. metro areas earn, spend, and grow — written for readers who want the big picture in plain English.

• Atlanta Economy: A Logistics Powerhouse

  Plain-English overview of the Atlanta metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Austin Economy: Tech, Music, and Boomtown Trade-offs

  Plain-English overview of the Austin metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Baltimore Economy: Healthcare, Defense, and Port Logistics

  Plain-English overview of the Baltimore metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Birmingham Economy: Healthcare, Banking, and the Steel Legacy

  Plain-English overview of the Birmingham-Hoover metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Boston Economy: Brains as an Industry

  Plain-English overview of the Boston metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Buffalo Economy: Healthcare, Tech Reinvention, and the Border

  Plain-English overview of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Charlotte Economy: Banking and Logistics in the New South

  Plain-English overview of the Charlotte metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Chicago Economy: Cost of Living, Jobs, and Industries

  Plain-English overview of the Chicago metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Cincinnati Economy: Consumer Brands and Logistics

  Plain-English overview of the Cincinnati tri-state metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and earnings taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Cleveland Economy: Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Reinvention

  Plain-English overview of the Cleveland metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and earnings taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Columbus Economy: Insurance, Logistics, and Intel's Big Bet

  Plain-English overview of the Columbus metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and earnings taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Dallas-Fort Worth Economy

  Plain-English overview of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Denver Economy: Aerospace, Energy, and the Front Range

  Plain-English overview of the Denver metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Detroit Economy: Auto Capital Reinventing Itself

  Plain-English overview of the Detroit metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Hartford Economy: Insurance, Aerospace, and the Knowledge Corridor

  Plain-English overview of the Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Houston Economy: Cost of Living, Jobs, and Industries

  Plain-English overview of the Houston metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Indianapolis Economy: Logistics, Sports, and Life Sciences

  Plain-English overview of the Indianapolis metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Inland Empire Economy: Logistics, Warehousing, and Affordable Housing

  Plain-English overview of the Inland Empire (Riverside-San Bernardino) metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Jacksonville Economy: Logistics, Finance, and the Navy

  Plain-English overview of the Jacksonville metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Kansas City Economy: Logistics, Animal Health, and Bi-State Trade-offs

  Plain-English overview of the Kansas City bi-state metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and earnings taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Las Vegas Economy: Hospitality and Diversification

  Plain-English overview of the Las Vegas metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Los Angeles Economy: Cost of Living, Jobs, and Industries

  Plain-English overview of the Los Angeles metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Louisville Economy: UPS, Bourbon, and Healthcare

  Plain-English overview of the Louisville metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and occupational license taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Memphis Economy: Logistics, FedEx, and the Mississippi

  Plain-English overview of the Memphis tri-state metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Miami Economy: Finance, Tourism, and Latin America

  Plain-English overview of the Miami metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Milwaukee Economy: Beer, Manufacturing, and Healthcare

  Plain-English overview of the Milwaukee-Waukesha metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Minneapolis-St. Paul Economy: Healthcare, Retail, and Cold-Climate Tech

  Plain-English overview of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Nashville Economy: Healthcare, Music, and the In-Migration Boom

  Plain-English overview of the Nashville metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• New Orleans Economy: Tourism, Energy, and the Port

  Plain-English overview of the New Orleans-Metairie metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• New York City Economy: Cost of Living, Jobs, and Industries

  Plain-English overview of the New York City metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Oklahoma City Economy: Energy, Aerospace, and Government

  Plain-English overview of the Oklahoma City metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Orlando Economy: Tourism, Theme Parks, and Tech Diversification

  Plain-English overview of the Orlando metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Philadelphia Economy: Eds, Meds, and Logistics

  Plain-English overview of the Philadelphia metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Phoenix Economy: Cost of Living, Jobs, and Industries

  Plain-English overview of the Phoenix metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Pittsburgh Economy: Eds, Meds, and Robotics

  Plain-English overview of the Pittsburgh metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and earned-income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Portland Economy: Athletic Apparel, Tech, and the No-Sales-Tax Edge

  Plain-English overview of the Portland metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, income tax, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Providence Economy: Education, Healthcare, and Manufacturing's Past

  Plain-English overview of the Providence-Warwick metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Raleigh-Durham Economy: Research Triangle and Tech Talent

  Plain-English overview of the Raleigh-Cary metro economy and the broader Research Triangle: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Richmond Economy: Finance, Tobacco's Past, and Government

  Plain-English overview of the Richmond metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Sacramento Economy: Government, Healthcare, and the Bay Area Spillover

  Plain-English overview of the Sacramento metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Salt Lake City Economy: Tech, Tourism, and Population Growth

  Plain-English overview of the Salt Lake City metro economy and the broader Wasatch Front: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• San Antonio Economy

  Plain-English overview of the San Antonio metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• San Diego Economy: Defense, Biotech, and the Border

  Plain-English overview of the San Diego metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• San Francisco Economy: Tech, Tourism, and Trade-offs

  Plain-English overview of the San Francisco metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• San Jose Economy: The Heart of Silicon Valley

  Plain-English overview of the San Jose / Silicon Valley metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Seattle Economy: Tech, Trade, and Climate

  Plain-English overview of the Seattle metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales tax, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• St. Louis Economy: Healthcare, Logistics, and Bi-State Trade-offs

  Plain-English overview of the St. Louis bi-state metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Tampa Economy: Finance, Healthcare, and Retiree Inflows

  Plain-English overview of the Tampa metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Virginia Beach-Norfolk Economy: Navy, Ports, and Tourism

  Plain-English overview of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News (Hampton Roads) metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and property taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read

• Washington DC Economy: Federal Spending and Beyond

  Plain-English overview of the Washington metro economy: GDP, biggest industries, jobs and wages, rent, sales and income taxes, and cost of living. Written so anyone can follow it.

  6 min read