This region cracks the top 10 (often at No. 1) on so many lists related to jobs, careers, doing business and such.

So it's almost shocking to see Wake County all the way down at No. 15 of Money Magazine's latest list of "Where the jobs are."

To be fair, it's a bit of a lagging indicator. The list of 25 counties is based on job and population growth 2000-2010, as well as places where unemployment was below the national average.

Rockwell County, Texas, came in at No. 1. Loudoun County, Va., was No. 2, and Williamson County, Texas, was No. 3.

Forbes writers love us, they really love us.

The magazine ranked the Raleigh region as No. 2 on its list of America’s Best Cities For Young Professionals.

It's just the latest in a series of gushing plugs from Forbes in recent weeks, including a No. 1 ranking among the 50 Best Places for Business and Careers, and a No. 2 ranking on its list of the Next Big Boom Towns in the U.S.

For the Young Professionals list, Forbes reviewed 100 metropolitan areas by seven factors, including local unemployment rates, the median salaries for 24- to 34-year-old employed college graduates, and the percentage of the population aged 25 and older with college degrees in the area.
 
"With an abundance of colleges and universities in the area such as University of North Carolina and Duke University, and Research Triangle, a major center for high-tech and biotech research, more than 42% of the local population touts BA degrees, making it the most educated of the cities we looked at," Forbes wrote.

Ironically, the story doesn't mention N.C. State, the biggest university in Raleigh. That's certain to irk Wolfpack fans.

Des Moines came in at No. 1 on the Forbes list. Madison, Wis., was No. 3.

Such lists tend to become self-fulfilling. Making the lists helps attracts residents seeking jobs and businesses considering expansion, which also boosts the local economy. And politicians and economic development officials love using the lists when they market this region as a destination.

Forbes, please stop it, we're blushing.

OK, keep it coming, we really don't mind all the fawning and stroking.

The financial magazine last week ranked Raleigh No. 1 on its list of the 50 Best Places for Business and Careers.

This week, Raleigh comes in as No. 2 on its list of the Next Big Boom Towns in the U.S. Austin is No. 1 and Nashville is No. 3. Charlotte is No. 8.

For the latest accolade, Forbes notes the Raleigh metro area's population growth, job growth, jump in new immigrants and other factors. The magazine also ranks Raleigh as the No. 1 city for families with young children.

Raleigh returns to the No. 1 spot in Forbes' annual list of the 50 Best Places for Business and Careers.

Des Moines, which unseated Raleigh last year for the top spot, dropped to No. 2, followed by Provo, Utah; Lexington, Kent.; and Fort Collins, Colo.

Forbes cited the Raleigh area's proximity to the big three Triangle universities: N.C. State, UNC Chapel Hill and Duke. It also noted this region's low business costs, strong job growth and smart workforce.

North Carolina ranked No. 3 on CNBC's annual list of the Top States for Business, up one spot from last year.

The business TV network ranked all 50 states in 10 broad categories, including cost of doing business, workforce, quality of life and transportation & infrastructure.

North Carolina gained ground in workforce and infrastructure, but took a hit in the economy category. CNBC noted that the state's unemployment rate of 9.7 percent remains above the national average.

Economic recruiters and politicians often use such "best of" lists as they work to lure new businesses to North Carolina. Officials with the N.C. Commerce Department and Research Triangle Park immediately sent out alerts on Twitter about today's CNBC list. And Gov. Bev Perdue's office only took a couple of hours to put out a full press release.

Of course, "We're No. 3" bragging rights only go so far when North Carolina lags No. 2 Texas. What's even harder for N.C. officials to stomach: Virginia came in at No. 1 on CNBC's latest list.

Raleigh, which is no stranger to the top of various "best of" lists, just misses the top 10 of Forbes.com list of the Most Affordable Cities in America.

The magazine's online ranking uses factors including the current median asking price of homes, median salaries of workers with bachelor's degrees or higher, a cost of living index from Moody's Economy.com and the latest unemployment rates. Omaha, Neb., is No. 1, followed by Buffalo, N.Y., Detroit, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

Raleigh comes in at No. 11. Not to worry, the new year is young and there will be plenty more lists to brag about. Economic recruiters often use such rankings when they're marketing this region to potential employers and residents.

But one small beef: Does Forbes really need to use a photo of snowy Raleigh for its online slideshow? It's timely, no question, but hardly a realistic representation of the city's climate.

Read the full Forbes report here.

The Raleigh-Durham region gets lauded as one of the country's "New Silicon Valleys" in a Newsweek roundup of the "10 American cities best situated for the recovery."

The Triangle and other regions, including Salt Lake City and northern Virginia, "offer high-paying high-tec jobs and housing prices well below those in coastal California."

As with other "best-of" lists, it's not just bragging rights for this region. Economic developers and recruiters say that making such lists bolster the Triangle's reputation and help attract new residents and businesses.

Site Selection magazine has ranked North Carolina No. 1 in its list of states with the "top business climate" for the sixth year in a row.

The economic development magazine surveys corporate executives that help businesses select new locations for expansion. The ranking is based on factors such as cost of doing business, quality of the workforce and number of new projects recently announced.

The No. 1 ranking for North Carolina has become almost a given -- this is the ninth year out of the past 10 that the state has been at the top.

But it's an important bragging right for economic recruiters as they work to lure new businesses. State officials routinely point to such "best of" lists as they tout North Carolina's charms.

Forbes magazine ranks North Carolina as the No. 3 state for business, up from No. 5 a year ago.

In Forbes’ latest ranking, North Carolina is rated third for business costs and its regulatory environment.

Quality of life? Not so much. North Carolina is 32nd among the states.

State recruiters and economic developers use such lists to promote the state as they seek to attract new business or expansions.

Raleigh is one of the "brainiest" cities in the country, CNNMoney.com reports.

Using Census data released last week, the financial website ranked the top metro areas based on the percentage of people 25 years or older with bachelor's, master's, professional school or doctorate degrees.

Washington comes in No. 1, with 47.3 percent, followed by San Francisco with 43.5 percent, and San Jose, Calif., with 43.2 percent.

Raleigh is No. 4 with 42.2 percent, tied with Boston.

Economists point out that cities with highly educated populations tend to have higher salaries, and attract more "creative class" types.

Read the full report here.