Greater Cincinnati's economy fastest-growing in Midwest

Greater Cincinnati's $132 billion economy has not only surpassed Columbus as Ohio's largest, it is the fastest-growing major city in the Midwest.

U.S. metros grew at a tepid 1.7 percent last year, according to data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis this fall. But Cincinnati chugged ahead a little faster: 2.5 percent.

The region's strength in multiple sectors kept its economy steady: manufacturing, financial and professional services growing the fastest.

Cincinnati is the nation's 28th-largest economy and the Midwest's No. 6 economy – $3 billion less than slower-growing No. 5 Indianapolis, according to new analysis by The Enquirer.

Around the country, other cities with economies dominated by fewer industries both sagged and surged:

• Tech drove the top-performing economies of San Jose (up 5.9 percent), San Francisco (up 5.4 percent), Raleigh, North Carolina (up 5.3 percent) and Austin, Texas (up 4.9 percent)

• Houston and Oklahoma City, respectively shrank 3.0 and 2.2 percent as the oil industry suffered

• Las Vegas enjoyed a renewed winning streak with 3.9 percent growth after the gambling industry rebounded from slower growth earlier in the decade

The tech industry's growing influence is also propelling strong tech metros past cities dominated by older sectors. San Franciso appears poised to pass Houston as the nation's No. 6 economy. No. 14 San Jose has breezed past No. 15 Minneapolis and is now a whisker behind No. 13 Detroit. And Austin, Texas has passed Cincinnati as the nation's No. 27 metro economy.

Tech is a less prominent sector in the Midwest states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Cincinnati's growth ranked in the middle among the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan economies (24th) as well as among the 16 cities generating between $100 billion and $150 billion of economic output (eighth).