No. 41

New Orleans-Metairie, LA

Historically, the Crescent City’s economy has been driven by three industries: tourism, oil and gas, and shipping. All three are still going strong, but the city is moving beyond that: The NO/LA Angel Network is investing in bioinnovation, internet bandwidth, pharmaceuticals, and a dating service that uses DNA. Construction is still booming post-Katrina, with significant investment pouring in over the past five years. And the area’s population continues to grow: Today, it has nearly 1.5 million residents, surpassing its pre-Katrina days.