SAN JOSE , CALIFORNIA - growth rate : 1.27 percent -
FOUNDED IN 1777 , San Jose spent 150 years as a quiet farming community run by Spanish settlers , until a rapid surge in population began to fill its 179.9 square miles . It moved swiftly away from its agricultural
beginnings and became the ‘ Capital of Silicon Valley ’, with a heavy focus on technological innovation and R & D . It is known for its high cost of living and booming industry .
ORLANDO
, FLORIDA - growth rate : 2.31 percent -
ORLANDO WAS INCORPORATED as a town in 1875 , and is one of America ’ s most popular tourist destinations . It covers 110.7 square miles of land , and maintains a worldwide reputation as the theme park capital of the world ,
containing Universal Orlando Resort , Walt Disney World Resort , SeaWorld , and Busch Gardens Tampa . It also ranks as the fourth most popular American city based on where people want to live , according to a 2009 Pew Research Center survey .
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