The U.S. economy bounced back in the first half of this year, with the Sunshine State benefiting greatly from that rebound. According to a study by accounting software company Stessa, 10 Florida metro areas ranked among the top 30 cities that saw the most economic growth. The company came up with the rankings by looking at employment rates, home sales and building permits issued per capita.
The state as a whole had the second fastest-growing economy in the nation, behind only Utah. A big reason for that was the recent construction boom. Florida had the fifth highest rate of housing permits issued (a monthly average of 79 per 100,000 residents) in the country. Much of the growth was happening along the Gulf Coast.