All kinds of smart.
Not to mention young and creative.

In Richard Florida’s book The Rise of the Creative Class, Albuquerque ranks #1 in creativity among medium-sized American cities. But we’re not just talking painters and poets. Albuquerque boasts a large number of scientists, engineers and other knowledge workers. In other words, all the people that Florida’s groundbreaking “creativity index” argues are key to economic growth in the new economy.

In fact, Albuquerque is perennially recognized as one of the country’s top metro areas for knowledge workers. And with a population that skews to the younger side, it offers a rich, sustainable labor pool. Here are some details:

• Total Metro Population (Est. 2010)    867,318
• Growth, 2000-2011    22.21%
• Labor Force (Est. 2010)    408,800
• MSA Unemployment Rate (Nov. 2010)    8.8%
• Median Age (Est. 2010)     35.9
• Median Household Income (Est. 2011)    $46,022

Source: Albuquerque Economic Development - www.abq.org