The Milken Institute has published its “Best Performing Cities” report for 2008, and Peoria has jumped way up. Here’s the press release from the Economic Development Council:

Peoria (September 15, 2008) – Peoria jumps from 68 to 42 on the Milken Institute index of best cities in America. This survey focuses on where America’s jobs are created and sustained.

The Best-Performing Cities index measures U.S. metropolitan areas to find the most successful at job creation and retention, the quality of jobs being produced, and overall economic performance. Specifically, it pinpoints where jobs are being created and maintained, where wages and salaries are increasing, and where economies and businesses are growing and thriving.

For a complete listing of cities on this index, visit http://www.milkeninstitute.org.

What the press release doesn’t mention is that, when you look at the rankings by state, Peoria’s metropolitan statistical area (includes Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Stark, and Marshall counties) beats every other MSA in the state by a large margin.