12. Benton County, AR

Towns include:  Bella Vista, Bentonville, Rogers
Job growth (2000-2007): 43.13%

The home of Wal-Mart's world headquarters is a natural choice for a top job-growth area, but Benton County has even more to offer than low prices on toilet paper. JB Hunt Transport Service, one of the largest transportation logistics companies in North America, also does a thriving business there.
Crystal Bridges, a proposed $50 million museum of colonial American art, promises to do wonders for the local economy when it opens in 2009. This ambitious region will also be home to a minor-league hockey team and is hoping to lure a WNBA franchise as well.

13. Delaware County, OH

Towns include:  Delaware, Dublin, Westerville
Job growth (2000-2007): 42.14%

Delaware County has plenty of reason to rejoice - and not because it just celebrated its bicentennial. As Ohio's fastest-growing county, it's home to Columbus, the state capital and one of its biggest metropolitan areas. The county has a diverse mix of industries including insurance, manufacturing, and education.
Wendy's, the nation's third-largest hamburger chain, is headquartered there. Business heavyweights Nationwide Insurance and Verizon Business also have a presence in the county, and State Auto Mutual Insurance recently announced plans to construct an $18 million data center here.

14. Dallas County, IA

Towns include:  Urbandale
Job growth (2000-2007): 40.89%

Job prospects are growing in Dallas County, where a strengthening transportation infrastructure is beginning to accommodate an influx of residents and commuters to the area.
The county also expects to see growth in the medical and mental health fields on pending plans for a new local hospital, and a proposed regional airport could also boost jobs there. Life insurance company Aviva and commercial printing company Quebecor World already call the Des Moines neighbor home.

15. Lake County, FL

Towns include:  Citrus Ridge
Job growth (2000-2007): 39.35%

This central Florida county has finally emerged from Mickey's shadow. Lake County used to function mainly as a bedroom community for Orlando and an important orange producer. But in recent years, service sector industries have shown major development within its borders.
Health care has grown particularly quickly, with the county's three hospitals all expanding their facilities in the past three years. Lake County's population doubled from 1980 to 2000, and county planners expect it to double again by 2030.

16. Montgomery County, TX

Towns include:  Conroe, The Woodlands
Job growth (2000-2007): 38.53%

With acres of available land, Montgomery County hosts the new corporate headquarters of energy firm Anadarko and holds office space for transportation giant Maersk. Located 40 miles north of Houston, it has attracted foreign manufacturers and distribution plants, including one for CVS pharmacy.
It also has a strong health care sector with two major hospitals. The county says its low cost of living and outdoor lifestyle - there's a 22,000 acre lake - have attracted droves of newcomers.

17. Cochise County, AZ

Towns include:  Sierra Vista
Job growth (2000-2007): 37.37%

Long after the OK Corral shootouts in Tombstone, Cochise County has found law, order, and lots of jobs that don't require a tin star. Its farming, ranching, and mining communities support local businesses which are growing along with an influx of big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Lowe's.
The leisure and hospitality industry is also seeing a boost, thanks in part to a new Holiday Inn and Candlewood Inn as more vacationers and retirees are drawn to the county for its temperate climate and a relatively low cost of living.

18. Placer County, CA

Towns include:  Granite Bay, Lincoln, Rocklin, Roseville
Job growth (2000-2007): 37.08%

Construction teams are working hard to keep up with housing demand in Placer County, which spans from the capital of Sacramento, through Lake Tahoe to the edge of Nevada. Once a major destination for wealth-seekers during the California Gold Rush, the area is now seeing a boom in construction jobs.
Its financial-services industry and its leisure and hospitality businesses have received an infusion of new workers thanks to an expanded transportation infrastructure and the strong presence of companies like Hewlett-Packard, Oracle Corporation, and Ace Hardware.

19. Columbia County, GA

Towns include:  Evans, Martinez
Job growth (2000-2007): 36.34%

Population growth has boosted construction and business development in Columbia County. As a result, companies like Lowe's and John Deere have moved in.
While the county is a new home to Microsoft, it remains small-business-friendly as well, providing development assistance to local entrepreneurs, many of whom are military retirees attracted to the quality of life, natural resources and Columbia County's strong medical community.

20. St. Johns County, FL

Towns include:  Fruit Cove, Palm Valley, Ponte Vedra
Job growth (2000-2007): 35.92%

As vacationers and retirees head to its 40 miles of scenic beaches, St. Johns County is seeing an expanding tourism industry and steady economic growth. While the county has a strong community of farmers growing vegetables and raising livestock, the area also supports small but growing local financial and information services companies.
It's working on attracting developing businesses including aviation and automotive companies, as well as industrial, food and medical product developers to settle in the area.

21. Will County, IL

Towns include:  Bolingbrook, Crest Hill, Goodings Grove, Joliet, New Lenox, Plainfield, Romeoville
Job growth (2000-2007): 35.90%

As gas prices continue to reach historic highs, the railroad industry is booming again, and Will County is reaping the benefits. After doubling the amount of industrial space available in the county, the shipping hub has become a central staging ground for importing and exporting, as goods change hands at the Burlington Northern Logistics Park.
And with at least three new shopping centers, a new Ikea opening and an intermodal rail and industrial park planned, the county expects to add more jobs overall than in any other Illinois area in the next few decades.

22. Sherburne County, MN

Towns include:  Elk River
Job growth (2000-2007): 35.73%

Capturing the runoff from nearby Minneapolis, Sherburne County is undergoing residential expansion and growth in the retail, food, hospitality, and health care industries.
Large companies are attracted to the area - Target and UnitedHealthcare have invested more than $250 million in data centers in the area town of Elk River - while the county offers a cushy place for new companies to grow, with business development assistance and reasonably-priced commercial and industrial land.

23. Prince William County, VA

Towns include:  Dale City, Lake Ridge, Linton Hall, Montclair
Job growth (2000-2007): 35.25%

Jobs are flourishing in Prince William County thanks to its budding life sciences, biotech, and high tech corridor and a solid infrastructure just 25 miles from Washington, D.C. Biotech manufacturer Mediatech, as well as technology companies Applied Materials and ProLogic have set up shop there.
Retail jobs are also strong thanks to the Potomac Mills mall, Tackett's Mill Specialty Center and quaint shops and restaurants at Old Town Manassas, as well as the recent addition of two Wegmans grocery stores.

24. Yavapai County, AZ

Towns include:  Prescott
Job growth (2000-2007): 34.61%

As the population of Yavapai County continues to swell, so are its residential developments, municipalities, and infrastructure. Some of the county's largest employers are local governments and schools, aerospace, and defense company Lockheed Martin, and retailers like Wal-Mart, Target and Ace Hardware, which has a major distribution center in the town of Prescott Valley.
The historic area was once focused on ranching, agriculture and mining. Some areas still hold on to that tradition and preserve the county's natural beauty with numerous parks, but it's also seeing an influx of housing and real estate related businesses as well.

25. Fort Bend County, TX

Towns include:  Mission Bend, Missouri City, New Territory, Stafford
Job growth (2000-2007): 34.47%