Houston and San Jose Are Leading U.S. Economic Growth

The metro areas that form the twin pillars of America's knowledge-energy economy continue to rise and prosper, according to new figures on economic growth released this week from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. According to the data, which measured economic output as gross domestic product (GDP), the energy hub of greater Houston showed the fastest growth in terms of economic output last year, while the Silicon Valley tech hub of greater San Jose came in second.

The map below, from the BEA, shows the percent change in economic output across U.S. metros. While 173 metros had growth above the 1.7 percent average, a worrying 86 cities, or 23 percent of all U.S. metros, saw economic output decline in real terms.