CompTIA has declared the 2020 release of its annual Tech Town Index the year of the ‘Texas Two Step.’

According to the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a nonprofit association that serves as a hub for the global technology industry and workforce, Texas is the top state for tech professionals and businesses to do business. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington came in at No. 2 on the list, after Austin, which took the top spot for the second year in a row.

Following Austin and Dallas, in order, are: Raleigh, North Carolina; San Jose, California; and Charlotte, North Carolina.

It’s a large jump for Dallas, considering the metro came in seventh last year. CompTIA noted it was the biggest leap in the 2020 rankings.

The index is based on how appealing an area is for technology based on a combination of opportunity and livability. CompTIA evaluates 20 U.S. metropolitan regions that have populations of more than 250,000, and where the demand for technology professionals is high.

The analysis takes into account job posting data for the 12-month period between August 2019 and July 2020, livability, and career factors like 5-year projected IT job growth.

The Dallas metro area was ranked second largely due to its number of IT jobs available, CompTIA said. Last year, that was at 146,388 job posts. This year, it jumped to 178,579—and there’s more to come.

CompTIA cited Dallas’ projected IT job growth—three percent from 2020 to 2021 and 11 percent in the next five years—as a strong factor that contributed to its rise on the index. Cost of living was also low; 2 percent less than the U.S. average.

[Infographic: CompTIA Tech Town Index 2020]

The Tech Town Index comes at a time when business has taken hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. But, as CompTIA points out, the good news is that there is still a need for a skilled tech-centric workforce across the country.

Perhaps, more than ever, the association says.

Data compiled by CompTIA shows that there were around 3,782,409 IT job postings in the U.S. in the last 12 months. The demand for workers nearly doubled during the pandemic.

CompTIA also took into account the growing trend of remote work and work from home options.

So far this year, 22 percent of IT job openings listed working remotely as an option. Those roles included software and application developers, IT support specialists, computer systems engineers and architects, web developers, and more.

CompTIA says the cities on the list represent a strong, resilient group faced with unprecedented challenges.

“This year, perhaps more than any other, the tech industry has been called upon to keep the country and the world connected, reaffirming the need for a skilled, tech-ready workforce and innovative companies,” Nancy Hammervik, CompTIA’s executive vice president for industry relations, said in a statement. “These cities, many previous Tech Town Index honorees, are emblematic of the vibrancy of America’s tech community.”

Dallas rises in the rankings

In addition to the nearly 32,000 new IT jobs posted in Dallas in the past year, CompTIA cited more proof in the area’s rapid growth potential.