Florida metros scored high on the Milken Institute/Greenstreet Partners 2007 Best Performing Cities Index for the third year in a row, taking three of the top six spots. The top-10 performers in descending order were Ocala, Fla.; Wilmington, N.C.; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.; Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.; Orlando-Kissimmee, Fla.; Naples-Marco Island, Fla.; McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas; Provo-Orem,Utah; Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.; and Raleigh-Cary, N.C. The index tracks where America's jobs are being created and sustained. Nationwide trends - including a rebound in the tech sector, increasing global trade, and even the effects of migration as a result of Hurricane Katrina - have influenced regional shifts. Yet, despite these trends, "one of the key distinguishing characteristics of successful places over the long term is the entrepreneurial strength of its residents," says Ross DeVol, director of regional economics at Milken. "Entrepreneurs replenish the jobs lost in declining industries and firms," he explains.