ocity
Economic Resilience Tracker

The Recession Shield Index

Compare eligible city rows with complete inputs under published weights. The composite is a screening tool, not a safe-haven designation or forecast.

Showing 100 cities
RankCity Resilience Score Rent Details
#1
Coeur d'Alene
ID
77
out of 100
$1,042
#2
St. George
UT
76
out of 100
$1,099
#3
Allen
TX
75
out of 100
$781
#4
Doral
FL
75
out of 100
$1,621
#5
Frisco
TX
75
out of 100
$1,291
#6
Nashua
NH
75
out of 100
$1,489
#7
Gilbert
AZ
74
out of 100
$1,424
#8
League City
TX
74
out of 100
$1,252
#9
Palm Coast
FL
74
out of 100
$1,159
#10
Pearland
TX
74
out of 100
$1,252
#11
Sugar Land
TX
74
out of 100
$1,135
#12
Alexandria
VA
73
out of 100
$1,803
#13
Bozeman
MT
73
out of 100
$1,114
#14
Cary
NC
73
out of 100
$1,176
#15
Deltona
FL
73
out of 100
$1,152
#16
Johns Creek
GA
73
out of 100
$1,362
#17
McKinney
TX
73
out of 100
$1,291
#18
Mount Pleasant
SC
73
out of 100
$1,106
#19
Newton
MA
73
out of 100
$2,064
#20
Orem
UT
73
out of 100
$1,093
#21
Roswell
GA
73
out of 100
$1,643
#22
Arvada
CO
72
out of 100
$1,635
#23
Bethesda CDP
MD
72
out of 100
$1,574
#24
Broomfield
CO
72
out of 100
$1,835
#25
Carmel
IN
72
out of 100
$1,145
#26
Carrollton
TX
72
out of 100
$1,291
#27
Castle Rock
CO
72
out of 100
$1,635
#28
Centennial
CO
72
out of 100
$1,635
#29
Chandler
AZ
72
out of 100
$1,424
#30
Chesapeake
VA
72
out of 100
$1,287
#31
Cheyenne
WY
72
out of 100
$917
#32
Columbia CDP
MD
72
out of 100
$1,489
#33
East Honolulu CDP
HI
72
out of 100
$2,038
#34
Ellicott City CDP
MD
72
out of 100
$1,489
#35
Fishers
IN
72
out of 100
$898
#36
Flower Mound
TX
72
out of 100
$1,291
#37
Lewisville
TX
72
out of 100
$1,291
#38
Mansfield
TX
72
out of 100
$1,291
#39
Meridian
ID
72
out of 100
$1,074
#40
Peoria
AZ
72
out of 100
$1,424
#41
Plano
TX
72
out of 100
$1,291
#42
Richardson
TX
72
out of 100
$1,291
#43
Rochester
MN
72
out of 100
$927
#44
Sandy Springs
GA
72
out of 100
$1,643
#45
Suffolk
VA
72
out of 100
$1,287
#46
Thornton
CO
72
out of 100
$1,635
#47
Virginia Beach
VA
72
out of 100
$1,287
#48
Caldwell
ID
71
out of 100
$1,074
#49
Conroe
TX
71
out of 100
$1,252
#50
Cranston
RI
71
out of 100
$1,362
#51
Gaithersburg
MD
71
out of 100
$1,574
#52
Germantown CDP
MD
71
out of 100
$1,574
#53
Idaho Falls
ID
71
out of 100
$903
#54
Irving
TX
71
out of 100
$1,291
#55
Kenosha
WI
71
out of 100
$1,071
#56
Missouri City
TX
71
out of 100
$1,252
#57
Pocatello
ID
71
out of 100
$751
#58
Round Rock
TX
71
out of 100
$1,635
#59
Sandy
UT
71
out of 100
$1,301
#60
Silver Spring CDP
MD
71
out of 100
$1,574
#61
Somerville
MA
71
out of 100
$2,064
#62
Sterling Heights
MI
71
out of 100
$1,029
#63
Twin Falls
ID
71
out of 100
$806
#64
Waldorf CDP
MD
71
out of 100
$1,574
#65
Warwick
RI
71
out of 100
$1,362
#66
Waukesha
WI
71
out of 100
$979
#67
West Hartford CDP
CT
71
out of 100
$1,673
#68
Wichita Falls
TX
71
out of 100
$843
#69
Abilene
TX
70
out of 100
$876
#70
Amarillo
TX
70
out of 100
$879
#71
Ankeny
IA
70
out of 100
$787
#72
Appleton
WI
70
out of 100
$772
#73
Beaumont
TX
70
out of 100
$932
#74
Bethlehem
PA
70
out of 100
$1,137
#75
Blaine
MN
70
out of 100
$1,201
#76
Boise City
ID
70
out of 100
$1,139
#77
Brooklyn Park
MN
70
out of 100
$1,201
#78
Brownsville
TX
70
out of 100
$761
#79
Cedar Park
TX
70
out of 100
$1,220
#80
Charleston
SC
70
out of 100
$1,424
#81
Eau Claire
WI
70
out of 100
$833
#82
Edinburg
TX
70
out of 100
$781
#83
Farmington Hills
MI
70
out of 100
$1,029
#84
Georgetown
TX
70
out of 100
$1,220
#85
Greenville
SC
70
out of 100
$1,074
#86
Hampton
VA
70
out of 100
$910
#87
Hoover
AL
70
out of 100
$1,109
#88
Janesville
WI
70
out of 100
$841
#89
Killeen
TX
70
out of 100
$900
#90
Lakeville
MN
70
out of 100
$1,201
#91
Laredo
TX
70
out of 100
$881
#92
Layton
UT
70
out of 100
$1,283
#93
Leander
TX
70
out of 100
$1,220
#94
Lee's Summit
MO
70
out of 100
$886
#95
Lehi
UT
70
out of 100
$1,282
#96
Levittown CDP
PA
70
out of 100
$1,190
#97
Livonia
MI
70
out of 100
$1,019
#98
Longview
TX
70
out of 100
$930
#99
McAllen
TX
70
out of 100
$781
#100
Midland
TX
70
out of 100
$1,372
* Resilience Score aggregates Unemployment, Job Growth, Cost of Living, Healthcare Access, and Safety.

Job Stability (40%)

We prioritize cities with low unemployment rates and positive year-over-year job growth. The model assigns 20 points each to transformed unemployment and job-growth fields.

Affordability Buffer (30%)

The rent-to-income transformation contributes 30% of the composite; it does not measure an individual emergency fund.

Healthcare & Safety (30%)

Healthcare index contributes 20% and transformed crime index contributes 10%. These proxies do not establish future stability.

Why "Resilience" Matters More Than "Growth"

In a booming economy, everyone looks at "Top Growth Cities" or "Hottest Tech Hubs". But when the economy cools down, those high-flying cities often crash the hardest (high rents, tech layoffs).

The Ocity Recession Shield Index flips the script. We look for the "Turtle" cities — the steady, boring, affordable, and safe places where you can ride out any economic storm. These cities often have:

  • Large sectors in Education, Government, and Healthcare (Meds & Eds).
  • Low housing costs relative to local wages.
  • Slow but consistent population growth.

Disclaimer

This index is based on historical data and current economic indicators. It does not predict the future. Always do your own research before moving.