4. Brownsville, Tex.
Q1 2010 annualized job growth: 2.2%
Q3 2009 annualized job growth: 1.7%
First quarter of recovery: Q4 2009
Unemployment rate: 10.9%
Median household income: $29,519
Brownsville, with a population of nearly 200,000, is booming in large part because of the Port of Brownsville, the state's southernmost international seaport. The weakening dollar could continue to give a boost to exporters in the coming year.
