“More intense innovative activity leads to higher rates of economic progress," researchers for an international conference noted last year. That's certainly true of Dallas-Fort Worth, which had the No. 5 fastest-growing economy of any U.S. metro this year, according to the American Growth Project. DFW and the other top four metros on the list share a key distinction: They're all hubs for tech and innovation.
The report says DFW's attractiveness helps bolster its existing “diversity and strength across industries,” while noting that health care is a “major driver of economic growth” in the region.