Best for job growth

Towns include:  Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, Pharr
Job growth (2000-2007): 43.45%

Making a run for the border? Stop before you cross at this Texas county on the U.S.-Mexico line. Brazilian textile maker Santana Textiles, the world's fifth-largest denim producer, has announced plans to open a new plant in the town of Edinburg here.

Although the housing boom in the resurgent Rio Grande has slowed, deep-pocketed investors from Mexico continue to buy properties and cross the border for shopping and services. The city of McAllen represents a thriving retail center, drawing millions customers annually from throughout Southern Texas as well as northern Mexico. --B.B.

NEXT: Benton County, AR