America's Fastest Growing Cities

The population of Raleigh, North Carolina, has grown by nearly 20% in the last eight years, more than any other metro area in the state. The increase was driven primarily by people moving into the city from other parts of the country and the world. The metro area’s job market handily kept pace with new residents looking for work. Between 2010 and 2018, the number of people working in Raleigh climbed by nearly 25% compared to 12.5% employment growth nationwide. Currently, the area’s unemployment rate stands at 3.7%, compared to 3.9% nationwide.

The Orlando metro area is one of only nine nationwide to a report a population surge of more than 20% between 2010 and 2018. The metro area reported about 93,000 more births than deaths in the last eight years and about 344,000 more people moving there than leaving.

Americans commonly choose to move for jobs and career opportunities, and Orlando’s economy appears strong as is its job market. There are nearly a quarter million more jobs in the metro area today than there were in 2010 and just 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed, well below the 3.9% national unemployment rate.

Cape Coral-Fort Myers is now home to over three-quarters of a million people, up from 620,000 in 2010. The 21.6% population growth occurred despite more deaths than births recorded in the metro area over the last eight years. Many who moved into the metro area likely came for work. Over the last eight years, total employment climbed by 32.6% in the Cape Coral metro area, more than double the comparable 12.5% employment growth nationwide. The area’s unemployment rate stands at just 3.3%, below the 3.9% national unemployment rate.

Oregon’s population grew by 9.2% over the last eight years, well above the 5.8% national population growth rate. Though it is among the fastest growing states, Oregon is home to only one metro area on this list. In Bend-Redmond, the population grew by 21.7% between 2010 and 2018. As was the case across the state as a whole, population growth in Bend-Redmond was driven primarily by net migration as more people moved in than left.

Greeley is the fastest growing metro area in Colorado and sixth fastest growing nationwide. There are over 60,000 more people living in Greeley today than there were eight years ago, a 23.6% increase. As is the case in most metro areas on this list, the change was driven primarily by net migration, as over 41,000 more people moved to Greeley than left since 2010.

Americans often move for jobs and career opportunities, and Greeley’s job market appears to be thriving. There are nearly 27,000 more jobs in the metro area now than there were in 2010, and the area’s unemployment rate stands at a lower than average 3.2%.