Performance 'best' list rates city as 27th

Huntsville has made another "best" list.

The Milken Institute, an economic think tank, has ranked Huntsville No. 27 on its 2004 Best Performing Cities list. Best Performing Cities ranks the nation's 200 largest cities on job growth, wage growth and other economic factors.

Huntsville enjoys a big jump on this year's list: In 2003, the city was ranked No. 117.

This year's ranking puts Huntsville ahead of cities that local leaders like use as benchmarks - Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (No. 34), Austin (No. 59) and San Antonio, Texas (No. 78), and Chattanooga (No. 83).

The No. 1 ranking went to Fort Myers, Fla.

Best Performing Cities looks at business costs, the number of knowledge-based jobs and a city's ability to attract and maintain jobs.