Pro: Theme parks help diversified economy thwart downturns
Cons: If gas prices keep rising, tourists may stay away
Entrepreneurial zeal runs strong in Orlando: A "loan day" event last year bringing borrowers and lenders together spawned 39 business loans totaling $750,000. Greater Orlando is relatively insulated from Florida's real-estate crash. It has a broad mix of financial services and manufacturing companies, along with businesses catering to the 40 million tourists a year who throng to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and other area theme-park attractions.
NASA's nearby Kennedy Space Center is a linchpin of the small-biz ecosystem. Other active players in cultivating startups include the University of Central Florida and the Disney Entrepreneur Center, a public-private collaboration offering counseling and other services. Orlando's thriving tourism business brings residents a wealth of local amenities - though it also represents an Achilles' Heel. If gas prices keep skyrocketing and the economy remains shaky, Orlando's economy is likely to suffer from the tremors. -Peter Galuszka
Interactive map: Orlando
Find homes for sale in Orlando
NEXT: 74. Columbus, Ind.
-

Bellevue -

Georgetown -

Buford -

Marina de... -

Bethesda -

Portland -

Denver -

Charlotte -

Fort Worth -

Franklin -

American ... -

Durham -

Manchester -

Virginia ... -

Salt Lake... -

Novato -

Santa Fe -

Charlotte... -

Boise -

Raleigh -

Iowa City -

Omaha -

Minneapolis -

Fargo -

Scottsdale -

Louisville -

Bellingham -

Colorado ... -

Naperville -

Lyndhurst -

Leesburg -

Carlsbad -

Hamden -

San Antonio -

Cambridge -

Stafford -

Radnor To... -

Worcester -

Fort Coll... -

Olympia -

Asheville -

Ann Arbor -

Blacksburg -

Oro Valley -

Sioux Falls -

Madison -

Gainesville -

Corvallis -

Owings Mi... -

Greensboro -

Doral -

Plainsboro -

Rochester -

Reno -

Dover -

Winston-S... -

Zionsville -

Bethlehem -

Syracuse -

Pittsburgh -

Northport -

Blue Ash -

Lincoln -

Fairfield -

State Col... -

San Jose -

Honolulu -

Ventura -

Danville -

Fort Laud... -

Missoula -

Brookfield -

Orlando -

Columbus -

St. Cloud -

Folsom -

Spokane -

San Luis ... -

Nashville -

Rochester -

Charleston -

Fayettevi... -

Rio Rancho -

Cheyenne -

Lemay -

Huntsville -

Bend -

Brunswick -

Billings -

Sarasota -

Ames -

Prescott -

Edmond -

West Des ... -

Coeur d'A... -

Eugene -

Kansas City -

Henderson -

Savannah -

Colchester
