Most smaller urbanized areas in New York State improved their standing in a national ranking of regional economic strength, although top rankings remain concentrated in other states.

Of 15 "micropolitan" statistical areas in New York, 13 gained in the 2006 rankings, compared to their position in 2004. Policom Corp., a Florida-based economic consulting firm, compiles its Economic Strength Rankings from indicators such as employment, population, earnings and personal income. Welfare and Medicaid payments are also included in the analysis, as indicators of economic weakness. Absolute measures such as current population and per-capita income are combined with changes over five-, 10- and 20-year periods to produce the rankings.

Areas centered in Corning, Cortland, Plattsburgh, Seneca Falls and Watertown-Fort Drum each moved up more than 100 places in the 2006 rankings of 577 micropolitan areas nationwide, compared to their 2004 positions. Plattsburgh was the highest-ranked area in New York, at 27th in the nation. The average improvement in ranking for micro areas in New York over the two years was 25 percent.

Micropolitan statistical areas include at least one county and a city or village with 10,000 to 50,000 residents. Metropolitan statistical areas have at least one urbanized area with 50,000 or more residents, and may include adjacent counties that are socially and economically integrated.

New York's 12 metropolitan statistical areas showed a mix of gains and losses in the 2006 rankings, with six moving up and the same number moving down, compared to 2004.The New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island area was ranked 42nd in the country for 2006, up from 49th two years earlier. The Albany-Schenectady-Troy, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, Rochester and Syracuse regions also moved up. Regions centered in Binghamton, Elmira, Glens Falls, Ithaca, Kingston and Utica moved down in the 2006 rankings.

A map of the growth is available here.