Job growth (2000-2011):
27.2%
There's a lot to savor in Lafayette, which is known as much for its po' boys as for its pro-business attitude. The hub of Acadiana -- Louisiana's Cajun region -- Lafayette is home to companies in a wide range of fields.
Oil and gas are important to this vibrant parish, but manufacturing, retail, medical services and tech play a big role too. And with direct access to major interstate highways, freight carriers like FedEx and UPS also gravitate here.
The latest boon for Lafayette? The decision by Louisiana Plating & Coatings early this year to construct an 80,000-square-foot plant that is anticipated to create 120 new jobs. Halliburton, one of LP&C's chief customers, also has plans to build a manufacturing facility in the area.
Subscribe to Money Magazine
NEXT: Burleigh County, ND