An average of about 34.3 million Americans packed up and moved each year over the last decade. Some did so to be in a better neighborhood, while others moved for job opportunities or another reason. And some U.S. cities have proven to be much better than others at drawing in new residents and appealing to those who are starting families.
Using metropolitan area level data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified America’s fastest growing cities. We ranked metro areas based on population change from July 2010 to July 2019. Each metro area on this list has reported a population growth of at least 19% over that period.
We also considered supplemental data on median household income and median home value from the Census’ ACS. Data on annual unemployment rate and employment changes came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Population change is the product of two factors — net migration and natural growth. Natural growth is the number of births over a given period less the number of deaths. Net migration is the difference between the number of new residents — either from other parts of the country or from abroad or the number of residents who have left the area.
The west Texas metro area of Odessa grew by nearly 30,000 people, or 21.2%, between 2010 and 2019 — more than all but 14 other U.S. metro areas and the third fastest growth rate of all Texas metropolitan areas. The population influx has contributed to ballooning home values. The typical Odessa home is worth $164,100, nearly 90% more than the local median home value was in 2010.
The growing popularity of Odessa and other Texas metro areas is attributable in part to a favorable tax climate as Texas does not levy a personal income tax. The local job market is also strong, as the annual unemployment rate stands at just 2.6%.
| Rank: | Metro area: | Pop. change; 2010-2019: | Median home value change; 2010-2019: | Unemployment rate; 2019: | Total 2019 pop.: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Villages, FL | +41.7% | +49.4% | 4.6% | 132,420 |
| 2 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | +32.0% | +31.5% | 4.0% | 496,901 |
| 3 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +29.8% | +69.7% | 2.7% | 2,227,083 |
| 4 | Midland, TX | +28.9% | +74.5% | 2.1% | 182,603 |
| 5 | St. George, UT | +28.6% | +48.9% | 3.0% | 177,556 |
| 6 | Greeley, CO | +28.3% | +101.0% | 2.5% | 324,492 |
| 7 | Bend, OR | +25.3% | +58.6% | 3.9% | 197,692 |
| 8 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | +24.5% | +63.7% | 3.1% | 770,577 |
| 9 | Provo-Orem, UT | +23.0% | +61.7% | 2.4% | 648,252 |
| 10 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | +23.0% | +37.4% | 3.4% | 1,390,785 |
| 11 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | +22.5% | +26.7% | 2.7% | 223,234 |
| 12 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | +22.2% | +51.2% | 3.0% | 2,608,147 |
| 13 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | +21.5% | +34.2% | 2.6% | 534,904 |
| 14 | Boise City, ID | +21.5% | +69.6% | 2.7% | 749,202 |
| 15 | Odessa, TX | +21.2% | +86.5% | 2.6% | 166,223 |
| 16 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | +20.7% | +33.6% | 2.7% | 284,809 |
| 17 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +20.7% | +38.2% | 2.4% | 802,122 |
| 18 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | +20.4% | +47.3% | 3.7% | 724,777 |
| 19 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | +19.7% | +45.1% | 3.1% | 384,902 |
| 20 | Coeur d’Alene, ID | +19.7% | +56.9% | 3.6% | 165,697 |
| 21 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | +19.4% | +55.6% | 3.8% | 7,066,141 |
| 22 | North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | +19.2% | +58.1% | 3.1% | 836,995 |
| 23 | Fort Collins, CO | +19.1% | +69.7% | 2.4% | 356,899 |
| 24 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | +19.1% | +50.0% | 3.1% | 2,550,960 |
| 25 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | +19.0% | +68.8% | 3.3% | 7,573,136 |
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