• Population: 775,000
• New residents: 19,000
• Percentage gain: 2.5%

Charlotte is known for two very distinct things: Nascar and big banking.

Home to the Charlotte Motor Speedway, nearly 75% of Nascar's employees live in and around the city.

The biggest industry here, however, is financial services. Charlotte is home to Bank of America and the East Coast offices of Wells Fargo, making it the second biggest banking center in the nation, after New York.

While the industry took a beating during the financial crisis, it's starting to recover. In March, Charlotte's unemployment rate was at 8.8%, still a stubbornly high rate but not high enough to keep the local population from growing.

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