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Durham-Chapel Hill metro tops Raleigh-Cary in ‘Best Performing’ list

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Note: The Skinny blog is written by Rick Smith, editor and co-founder of Local Tech Wire and business editor of WRAL.com.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – A surge in job growth relative to the rest of the country has vaulted Durham-Chapel Hill to No.6 on the widely watched Milken Institute’s “Best performing Metros” list.

Raleigh-Cary, which has suffered more during the economic downturn over the past year with a higher unemployment rate, dropped to 10th on the list.

Just a year ago, Raleigh-Cary ranked second nationally among the 200 largest metros as tracked by the California think tank. Durham was 21st.

Basted on the Milken data, Durham-Chapel Hill ranked 28th in five-year job growth and Raleigh-Cary came in a very respectable fifth. However, over the past year Durham rose to 13th in jobs while Raleigh-Cary tumbled to 33rd.

If Durham-Chapel Hill did better in wage growth, it could even be No. 1. But the Milken data ranks the metro area 68th. Raleigh-Cary is much better at 28th.

That 68 ranking seems a bit strange, however, given that Durham-Chapel Hill are growing in the high-tech and life science sectors since most of the Research Triangle Park is located in Durham county.

Austin, Texas, is No. 1 on the Milken list, up from fourth in 2008. Killeen-Ft. Hood-Temple, Texas came in second, climbing from 13th.

Elsewhere in the region, Charlotte fell to 47th to 26th, Atlanta plummeted to 106th from 59th and Wilmington plunged to 34th from sixth.

Fayetteville bucked the declining trend, rising to 31st from 52nd. Winston-Salem improved as well, rising to 92nd from 99th.

Asheville (75th from 46th) and Greensboro-High Point (154th from 141st) dropped.

On the Small Metro list, Rocky Mount jumped to 78th from 93rd.

Greenville fell to 41st from 22, however, and Burlington slipped to 75th from 57th.

South Carolina cities on the big metro list:

• Charleston, 30th from 10th

• Greenville, 77th from 68th

• Myrtle beach, 120th from 19th

• Spartanburg, up to 181st from 183rd

In Georgia:

• Savannah fell to 39th from 24th

• Augusta rose to 82nd from 121st

• Columbia dropped to 112th from 166th

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The Skinny

WRAL Local Tech Wire Publisher and Editor Rick Smith dishes out tidbits from the local technology sector. Read more articles…