From Business Week San Antonio 1 Austin 2 OKC 3 Little Rock 4 DFW 5 Houston 9 http://realestate.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=22435529>1=35000
LOL. Okay, I guess McAllen Texas has more going economically than LA, Boston, Chicago, or New York. Including home prices as a significant factor completely skews this away from the coasts, where most of the GDP actually happens. (sorry, 'tis true.)
I saw a thing about U-haul stating they had what is called "The Texas Premium" Basically A move from Houston to Chicago is about $800. From Chicago to Houston? $1,800.
Like three years ago. Doesn't really matter though, because DFW is almost three times the size of Metro San Antonio.
Cause I hate Tulsa. DUH! Naw Eric Riley had it right. Never been to Tulsa so I don't know how I feel about it..
San Antonio is a tourist town... they make most of their money off of that... though I'm surprised to see them at the top.
military, financial, medicine, and quite a few big corp HQ's. Not surprising most of the top is in the south
I took some time off from law school and cruised through the worst of the recession in the Little Rock area while waiting tables. I was scared that I'd go broke trying to wait tables during a recession, but the area really treated me well. I'm back in school and no longer in the Little Rock area, but the entire state seems to be doing fairly well... Arkansas isn't the most exciting place in the world, but the cost of living is so insanely cheap I could envision myself living here permanently just because I can live a great life making a relatively small amount of money. I live in a one bedroom house (yes, a one bedroom house) within an 8 minute walk of the best nightlife in Arkansas (ok, this is kind of like being being the smartest kid in special ed) that's been completely remodeled for $330 a month. It's just insanely cheap.
I suppose if you count the Gulf Coast and Lake Michigan, you'd be a little more correct State GDP, 2008: 1. California $1.8T 2. Texas $1.2T 3. NY $1.1T 4. Florida $0.7T 5. Illinois $0.6T http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP_(nominal)
I haven't been to the Little Rock area, but have visited the Ft. Smith/Van Buren/Fayetteville area a few times. That area is awesome - great people, great scenery, small towns, and not too far from larger towns/cities. I'm seriously thinking about moving to that area when I retire. But the houses in many of those areas are just as expensive as suburban houses in the DFW or Houston area, although the areas I looked at, the houses did come on acre lots. The influx of Californicators and others fleeing crashed housing markets has driven up the prices - not to mention Walmart, Tyson, JB Hunt, etc, execs all moving to Arkansas. Hell, I'd move up there for the fried catfish alone.
