Top 10 cities to Earn a Living

The best cities to earn a living are those that have plenty of companies doing business in high-paying, growth industries.

Combine that with a high-quality business environment, job growth, and a low cost of living and you get a select-few locations where the pay check is generous and the cost of necessities like food and housing is modest.

Here are the top 10 cities where Forbes magazine says this is the economic reality now and the conditions are likely to get even better as health care, technology, and energy draw more employees into their ranks:

1. Dallas
2. Houston
3. Minneapolis
4. Austin, Texas
5. Washington, D.C.
6. St. Louis
7. Seattle
8. Atlanta
9. Kansas City, Mo.
10. Denver

Source: Forbes, Francesca Levy (09/03/2009)