The pulse of New Orleans has been shifting in the past few years, and New Orleans has been infused with a new life. We are proving over and over that not only do we play hard, but we work hard, as well. In addition to being a new haven for entrepreneurs, tech, artists, and more, we are gaining a stronger workforce overall. Which is why we have caught the attention of Forbes, once again. It’s no surprise that last year, Forbes featured us as America’s fastest growing city, and this past month, they named us one of the top cities in the country where working-age Americans are moving.

Based on research done by demographer Wendell Cox, from 2007 to 2012, there has been significant growth in the numbers of people living in New Orleans who are of working ages. In the 20-34 age range during this time period, we saw high levels of youth migration to our “up-and-coming metro area” of New Orleans. In the 35-49 age range, an important group of people for a community noted as being higher earners and in their prime, New Orleans was at the top of the list in growth with the population in this age range growing 19.3% from 2007 to 2013. New Orleans also ranked first in growth of population in the 50-64 age range, as well, with a 7.9% increase in population in this age range within the same time period.

These numbers don’t come as too much of a surprise, because there has been so much noticeable growth and change for the better in New Orleans. We are working harder than ever and provide a quality of life that is hard to match. As we continue to put our best collective foot forward in 2014, we will see more and more attention focused on us as a top city in the United States.