DALLAS--Dallas is just two steps behind tech-heavy Austin, according to a new research report from CBRE.

“Scoring Tech Talent” ranks 50 U.S. markets according to ability to attract and grow tech talent. Dallas ranks No. 11 on the list; Austin is No. 9.

The atmosphere is driving demand for office space in both large and small markets across the U.S., according to the report, especially in Dallas.

While established tech markets like San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Seattle dominated the top spots on the “Tech Talent Scorecard,” many smaller, up-and-coming markets stood out as top “momentum markets” based on tech talent growth rates. Oklahoma City and Nashville had a tech talent growth rate of 39 percent between 2010 and 2013, higher than Seattle (38 percent) and just below that of San Francisco (44 percent) and Baltimore (42 percent).  Portland, OR, and Charlotte both saw tech talent growth rates of 28 percent, outpacing well-known tech markets like Austin (26.5 percent), Silicon Valley (20.8 percent) and Los Angeles (13.6 percent). Dallas' growth rate from 2010-2013 was 16.5 percent, making Dallas the third-largest tech talent labor market in the country, larger even than Silicon Valley.

In Dallas, the high-tech industry led all leasing activity in 2014, with more than 1,600,000 square feet leased by Dallas tech companies last year.

“Softlayer's significant expansion and relocation to Stanford Corporate Centre, which doubled the size of their headquarters, is a great example of a fast-growing technology firm that has committed to growing their presence in Dallas,” Clay Vaughn, first vice president-CBRE, told GlobeSt.com.