For older major cities and their metropolitan areas, jobs are projected to grow an average of 5.1 percent. In the postwar major cities and their metropolitan areas, jobs are projected to grow an average of 7.7 percent. These differing growth rates mean that the postwar cities will capture an increasing share of the 21st century s employment. Their competitive advantages can offer insights for other cities, as can their strategies to attract and accommodate growth. 68.2 on average for postwar major cities, 70.0 on average for older major cities, where the top-ranked community scored 75.57 and the lowest ranking was 20.36.
All major cities enjoy similar strengths in the transportation category.
Compared to smaller urban areas, all these cities tend to have more extensive public transportation systems, better access to rail and air facilities and good connections to other major destinations. On other factors, however, they are quite different. The older cities are strongest in terms of education, crime, arts, health care and recreation. The postwar cities are stronger in terms of cost of living, jobs and climate. These differences are detailed below.