Brain Gain in the Sunbelt

A recent analysis by uber-geographer Joel Kotkin in Newgeography reveals that sunbelt metropolitan areas in the United States are key recipients of "brain gain," (the immigration of highly educated individuals -- the opposite of brain drain). The top metros for recent brain gain include 1) New Orleans (residents returning following Hurricane Katrina); 2) Raleigh, North Carolina; 3) Austin, Texas; 4) Nashville, Tennessee; and 5) Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas.