8. Pittsburgh

Tech Employment Growth, 2015-2016: 12 percent

Change in Momentum, 2013-2016: 11.6 percent

There was a 24 percent growth in technology jobs in the Pittsburgh area from 2011 to 2016, leading to an 11.5 percent jump in wage growth to an average annual salary of $80,432. Meanwhile, the number of technology-related college degrees – helped by the presence of the technology-strong Carnegie Mellon University - soared 37 percent from 2011 to 2015, according to data CBRE cited from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Costs of living and of doing business also help. Both housing and business costs were slightly below the national average during the first quarter of this year, according to data from Moody's Analytics that CBRE cited.