Texas Dominates Job Growth

Favorable tax and regulatory climate

Taxes aren't the only thing influencing who moves where. Still, taxes can play a key role. We're now told Texas Dominates The Best Cities For Good Jobs. In part, that could be its favorable regulatory climate for business, more moderate housing and other costs. But California still has many advantages and change is slow, which is why Texas may nudge a few Californians to get moving.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently toured California to try to entice business owners to move. Despite all the photo-ops, California's Gov. Jerry Brown seemed nonplussed. Yet there's at least some evidence businesses and consumers are taking note of California high cost and hassle when Texas seems downright pristine.

The showing Texas made in this survey of the Best Cities for Good Jobs is impressive. Dallas achieved 2.1% job growth in 2012 and is projected to add jobs at a 2.8% rate through 2019. Houston was projected to have 5-year job growth of 2.6% a year. Austin is even better, ranking No. 2 in the nation with an expected 5-year annual growth rate of 3.9%.