Seattle #1 Strongest Economy in America, Mount Vernon #47

You are in downtown Mount Vernon, in the picture, looking north at a rainbow that seems to be hitting the bridge across the Skagit River that leads to West Mount Vernon and points beyond, like Anacortes.

A couple days ago a research firm named Policom ranked what they called Metro Area according how strong the various Metro Area's economy was, based on a couple dozen economic factors, like per capita earnings and medical costs.

I have no idea when Mount Vernon/Anacortes became a Metro area, but Policom ranks the Mount Vernon/Anacortes/Skagit Valley Metro Area as the 47th strongest economy in America, ahead of economic powerhouse areas, like Silicon Valley, which came in at #71.

Policom ranks Seattle as the #1 strongest economy in the United States in 2010. Olympia is #14, Portland #24. Check out, below, some of the other Pacific Northwest "Metro" Areas and how they rank, economy-wise, in 2010....

METRO AREA	2010 RANK	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro (Ore., Wash.)	24	24	30	49	63	64	60
Boise City-Nampa (Idaho)	37	65	48	66	78	70	55
Bellingham (Wash.)	42	71	97	126	162	192	240
Bend (Ore.)	43	49	46	61	79	76	101
Mount Vernon-Anacortes (Wash.)	47	70	98	107	122	108	127
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (Calif.)	51	41	62	63	74	86	80
Bremerton-Silverdale (Wash.)	64	88	88	106	135	155	192
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland (Wash.)	70	125	137	175	203	237	268
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Calif.)	71	89	104	120	120	89	73
Spokane (Wash.)	109	119	151	194	220	229	193
Medford (Ore.)	120	93	86	93	129	102	135
Coeur d'Alene (Idaho)	124	147	161	160	144	126	109
Eugene-Springfield (Ore.)	175	148	127	140	160	130	139
Salem (Ore.)	212	168	158	184	217	194	168
Lewiston-Clarkston (Idaho, Wash.)	235	275	283	300	326	327	306
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee (Wash.)	269	255	285	250	277	303	293
Corvallis (Ore.)	270	263	244	222	219	176	147
Yakima (Wash.)	278	309	318	304	320	325	337
Longview (Wash.)	290	273	305	273	294	313	341