North Dakota has the nation's best economy

Some of the states that years ago might have been prime destinations for families on the move have taken precipitous falls.

Poor housing markets, low employment rates, and struggling economies have forced California, Florida, and Nevada to the bottom of Portfolio.com's State-by-State Midyear Employment Ranking. These states might not be the prime relocation destinations they once were, when they topped Portfolio.com's list in 2005. The job situation in Nevada is especially ugly; the unemployment rate in that state is an eye-popping 14 percent.

Instead, North Dakota may soon experience a surge of incoming job-seekers. That state has the country's best economy, experiencing 7.8 percent private sector job growth between 2005 and 2010. That translates to 21,300 additional jobs, for a bottom-of-the-barrel unemployment rate of 3.6 percent.

Alaska came in second on the list, having watched employment in the private sector grow 4.4 percent since 2005. Texas rounded out the top three, holding steady as the nation's third-best state economy after a third place finish in last year's report.

A person considering a move to North Dakota should research the prices of income and property taxes at their new home before making the move.


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