Job tax credit rankings for Northwest Georgia counties changed little this year, according to new data from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

New 2010 rankings issued by the DCA rank Georgia counties in four tiers, based on unemployment rates, per capita income and residents living below the poverty line. The rankings determine the tax credit employers receive for creating jobs and reflect how economically robust a county is.

The department annually assesses all 159 Georgia counties, ranking them from 1 on the lowest tier to 159, which is the highest performing.

Gordon County remained in Tier 2 this year.

Other area counties in Tier Tier 2 include Murray (83), Polk (89) and Walker (105). Teir three counties include Whitfield (110), Bartow (111), Paulding (136) and Catoosa (139).

Oconee remained the most economically robust county in Georgia, while Forsyth dropped from second to fourth. Hancock remains the worst-performing county in Georgia.