America’s Fastest Growing Cities

The number of people living in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area climbed by 19% from 2010 to 2019 — a larger increase than in all but 24 other U.S. metro areas. At the same time as the area had an influx of new residents, rapid job growth occurred. Overall employment rose by nearly 27% in the metro area over the decade, while nationwide, employment climbed by a relatively modest 13.3% over the same period.

The addition of 1.2 million people has driven up real estate values in the metro area. The typical home in the Dallas area is worth $253,900, nearly 70% more than in 2010. Meanwhile, the typical American home appreciated by 33.7% since 2010.

San Antonio is one of several Texas metro areas to rank among the fastest growing in the country. Population growth in the metro area, which is now home to over 400,000 more people than in 2010, was driven primarily by new residents moving in.

Job growth more than kept pace with the influx of new residents. There are now nearly 1.2 million people working in the San Antonio metro area, up 23.7% from 2010.

About 11,600 more people were born than died in Fort Collins, Colorado, since 2010, and about 45,100 more people moved to the metro area than moved away over the same period — resulting in a 19.1% population increase, the second largest increase in the state and 23rd largest of any metro area nationwide.

Like many metro areas drawing in new residents, Fort Collins has a relatively strong job market. Just 2.4% of the labor force were out of work in 2019, well below the comparable 3.7% national unemployment rate.

The North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, metro area reported 19.2% population growth between 2010 and 2019. The growth was entirely attributable to net migration, as over 160,000 more people moved to the metro area than left since 2010.

The influx has led to increased demand for housing, and partially as a result, real estate prices have ballooned. The typical area home is worth $273,500, about 58% more than the median worth in the metro area in 2010.

The Houston metro area was the sixth largest in the United States in 2010, with a population of 5.9 million. As of 2019, after reporting 19.4% population growth, it is home to 7.1 million and ranks as the fifth largest. Over that period, about 540,000 more people were born in the metro area than died, and 602,600 more people moved to the area than moved away.

Rapidly growing metro areas typically have strong job markets. In Houston, the annual unemployment rate of 3.8% is closely in line with the comparable national annual figure.