They say everything¹s bigger in Texas, so Houston’s Texas-sized growth rate is right on the mark. The 8th fastest growing city in America, Houston’s projected to grow 20% between 2007 and 2012.

Houston¹s healthcare circles feature the larger than life. Heart surgeon Michael DeBakey, 99, pioneered the coronary bypass surgery, receiving a 2008 Congressional Gold Medal. Methodist Hospital’s ranked one of the Best Places to Work in U.S. News and World Report’s annual ratings. And the city itself just launched a health insurance comparison web site, which shows you how important healthcare is to Houstonians.




Registered Nurses

- Mean Annual Salary: $62,260

- Number Employed: 40,010




Biggest Employers

- Texas Medical Center

- Christus Health

- HCA Houston

- Memorial Hermann Health System

- The Methodist Hospital System

- St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System




Next: Miami