5 Richest Cities In America

THis is a follow on to my prior thread. While they both deal with top 5 lists...they are not related in source. Just timing and providence.

I can only link the blurbs, not the slideshow. For that, you must follow the jump:

www.marketwatch.com...

The richest cities in America? Easy, you say! New York, San Francisco, Washington. Well, close, but not quite. Who among us would, when pressed, guess that Midland, Texas, is the second wealthiest metro area in America?

Thats right. Midland, TX. The other thread deals with Odessa, which is the sister city for midland (we call them "Midland/Odessa" and think of them as related, even if one is the black sheep brother of the two).

The purpose of the two threads is to possibly give some hope, and a shout out to 'come on down" for any of you who are out of work here in America.

No. 2: Midland, Texas

Midland, Texas, is the surprise on the list, but only if you haven’t been following energy-related news very closely. Midland, population 113,000, is at the heart of the oil- and natural-gas-producing region known as the Permian Basin.

The Permian Basin is the U.S.’s largest area in proven reserves of crude oil, accounting for a quarter of the nation’s supply, and the ninth in natural-gas proven reserves.

The unemployment rate in Midland is 3.3%, compared with 7.9% for the U.S. One in four residents of Midland work in mining, logging and construction, according to the Labor Department. Midland is also known for its connection to the Bush family. Per-capita personal income in Midland reached $65,173 in 2011, 12% higher than in the previous year.

Midland was also No. 2 in personal income growth, up 14.6%. Personal income rose the most in neighboring Odessa, also an oil boomtown, where incomes were 14.8% higher in 2011 than in 2010.

On a side note, Midland also ranks as tied for 6th lowest unemployment in America.

There are options. It may require moving...but if you need some work, there are options here. The Cline Shale plays are expected to yield for a minimum 10 years once drilling is in full swing (thats right....we haven't even started peaking yet). The "gas to liquid" technology is expected to be a significant part of this play, with large investments in refining capacity being discussed for a site in Houston. The "Ports to Plains" project is underway, extending I-25 from Lubbock down to I-10 in Junction, and connecting with I-20 further north in Big Spring. People are pouring billions into the ability to move heavy equipment in and out, as well as energy.

WETT has been running high energy transmission lines en masse from the windfarms that are everywhere.

On one further side note: North Dakota seems to fare pretty well on the unemployment list, too...but I don't know what is going on there.

The middle states, from North Dakota to Texas, are where the future of the country lies. It's the only place to live anymore.

ItCameFromOuterSpace
The middle states, from North Dakota to Texas, are where the future of the country lies. It's the only place to live anymore.

edit on 10/11/2013 by ItCameFromOuterSpace because: (no reason given)

Too populous a a breadbasket threatens farmable acreage.

D/FW metro here. We're going to be on the up and up for the next decade or so. I'm in Frisco, TX. This place was nothing a decade ago, and seems as if it will be built out within the next 5. Am eyeing land further north to develop over the next few years.

Since drilling technology has allowed old wells to be redrilled, there's be a bit of a Boom going on out in that area.

Enjoy it while it lasts!