Rank Geography Median Income Rank Unemployment Rank Income Growth Rank Cost of Living Rank Job Growth Rank Total Score 1 Salt Lake City, UT 33 2 8 41 8 92 2 Wichita, KS 65 23 5 7 7 107 3 Austin, TX 56 13 1 51 2 123 4 Atlanta, GA 18 43 18 42 13 134 5 Fort Worth, TX 50 39 4 45 9 147

The top cities on this list also include Atlanta, plentiful in transportation, distribution and financial services careers. Indianapolis has a strong showing in agriculture, too. Omaha, Neb., Warren Buffet's hometown, offers jobs at opposite ends of the spectrum, in financial services and agriculture as well. The Emerald City--Seattle--brings aerospace and global trade professions to the table.

Kurt Ronn, president and founder of HRworks, an Atlanta-based job recruitment and consulting firm, said Americans gravitate to certain locales based on opportunity and affordability, both offered right in his backyard.

He noted that, on a broad scale, the employment picture has been strong in the areas of technology and logistics, such as in distribution and sales. .

Kirdahy, Matthew. "Best Cities for Jobs in 2008." Forbes. 10 Jan 2008. 11 March 2008. <http://www.forbes.com/2008/01/10/jobs-economy-growth-lead-careers-cx_mk_0110cities.html>.