2019’s Fastest-Growing Cities in America
3:01 AMPosted by: Adam McCann
Experts might not agree on the “best” or the “right” recipe for rapid economic growth, but some cities know the key ingredients for long-term prosperity better than others. Patterns emerge within those cities, allowing us to identify what factors contribute to a lasting cycle of growth. The South and West currently seem to be attractive places to move, as the U.S. Census Bureau reports eight of the 15 cities with the largest population gains in 2018 were located in the South and six were in the West.
Some cities thrive even through hard economic times while others struggle. To determine where the fastest local economic growth has occurred in the U.S., WalletHub compared 515 cities of varying population sizes based on 17 key measures of both growth and decline over a period of seven years. Our data set ranges from population growth to unemployment rate decrease to growth in regional GDP per capita. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.
Main FindingsEmbed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/7010/geochart-fastest-growing.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2QmGoVr>
Fastest-Growing Cities in the U.S.
*No. 1 = Fastest-Growing
|
Rank* |
Large City Name (Score) |
Rank* |
Midsize City Name (Score) |
Rank* |
Small City Name (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin, TX (67.30) | 1 | Lehigh Acres, FL (82.11) | 1 | Mount Pleasant, SC (79.47) |
| 2 | Miami, FL (66.54) | 2 | Enterprise, NV (76.62) | 2 | Bend, OR (78.10) |
| 3 | Seattle, WA (64.55) | 3 | Frisco, TX (74.25) | 3 | Fort Myers, FL (73.88) |
| 4 | Henderson, NV (62.92) | 4 | Meridian, ID (73.76) | 4 | Saint George, UT (72.42) |
| 5 | Denver, CO (62.23) | 5 | Cape Coral, FL (71.56) | 5 | Concord, NC (66.91) |
| 6 | Oakland, CA (60.61) | 6 | Round Rock, TX (70.99) | 6 | Milpitas, CA (66.54) |
| 7 | Fort Worth, TX (59.91) | 7 | College Station, TX (70.54) | 7 | Chino, CA (64.41) |
| 8 | Atlanta, GA (58.70) | 8 | Murfreesboro, TN (69.96) | 8 | Indio, CA (63.12) |
| 9 | Charlotte, NC (58.39) | 9 | McKinney, TX (69.23) | 9 | Manteca, CA (62.53) |
| 10 | Tampa, FL (57.27) | 10 | Midland, TX (67.46) | 10 | Pleasanton, CA (62.26) |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ (55.72) | 11 | Arden-Arcade, CA (66.11) | 11 | Redwood City, CA (60.38) |
| 12 | Mesa, AZ (55.70) | 12 | Santa Clarita, CA (65.58) | 12 | Nampa, ID (60.29) |
| 13 | San Francisco, CA (55.27) | 13 | Sugar Land, TX (65.52) | 13 | Tracy, CA (60.05) |
| 14 | Aurora, CO (55.02) | 14 | Spring Valley, NV (65.42) | 14 | Fayetteville, AR (59.92) |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC (54.34) | 15 | Greeley, CO (64.70) | 15 | Mountain View, CA (59.91) |
| 16 | Nashville, TN (54.12) | 16 | Brandon, FL (64.55) | 16 | Loveland, CO (57.76) |
| 17 | San Jose, CA (54.03) | 17 | Pearland, TX (64.25) | 17 | Boca Raton, FL (56.86) |
| 18 | Boston, MA (53.95) | 18 | Orlando, FL (63.18) | 18 | Bellingham, WA (56.42) |
| 19 | Jacksonville, FL (53.06) | 19 | Spring Hill, FL (63.00) | 19 | Chino Hills, CA (56.41) |
| 20 | Dallas, TX (52.95) | 20 | Tempe, AZ (62.85) | 20 | Palm Coast, FL (56.39) |
| 21 | Fresno, CA (51.92) | 21 | Port Saint Lucie, FL (62.85) | 21 | Springdale, AR (55.86) |
| 22 | Sacramento, CA (51.92) | 22 | Charleston, SC (62.69) | 22 | Flower Mound, TX (55.31) |
| 23 | Portland, OR (51.86) | 23 | Richardson, TX (62.18) | 23 | Avondale, AZ (55.30) |
| 24 | San Antonio, TX (51.84) | 24 | Hillsboro, OR (62.15) | 24 | Longmont, CO (55.03) |
| 25 | Las Vegas, NV (51.64) | 25 | North Charleston, SC (62.01) | 25 | Hemet, CA (54.91) |
| 26 | Washington, DC (51.60) | 26 | Irvine, CA (61.84) | 26 | Boynton Beach, FL (54.87) |
| 27 | Omaha, NE (50.50) | 27 | Denton, TX (61.74) | 27 | Layton, UT (54.86) |
| 28 | Riverside, CA (50.44) | 28 | Thornton, CO (60.44) | 28 | Edinburg, TX (54.72) |
| 29 | Colorado Springs, CO (50.34) | 29 | Reno, NV (60.05) | 29 | Lake Charles, LA (54.29) |
| 30 | Columbus, OH (48.99) | 30 | Cary, NC (59.85) | 30 | Asheville, NC (54.20) |
| 31 | Los Angeles, CA (48.33) | 31 | League City, TX (59.45) | 31 | Orem, UT (54.06) |
| 32 | Stockton, CA (47.85) | 32 | Clovis, CA (59.06) | 32 | Melbourne, FL (53.94) |
| 33 | Minneapolis, MN (47.64) | 33 | Roseville, CA (58.86) | 33 | Somerville, MA (53.93) |
| 34 | Anaheim, CA (47.57) | 34 | Bellevue, WA (58.81) | 34 | Carmel, IN (53.56) |
| 35 | San Diego, CA (47.11) | 35 | Sparks, NV (58.68) | 35 | Union City, CA (53.52) |
| 36 | Kansas City, MO (47.07) | 36 | Odessa, TX (58.17) | 36 | Largo, FL (53.49) |
| 37 | Arlington, TX (46.55) | 37 | Ontario, CA (58.11) | 37 | Medford, OR (53.45) |
| 38 | Santa Ana, CA (45.62) | 38 | Surprise, AZ (58.00) | 38 | Apple Valley, CA (53.04) |
| 39 | Houston, TX (44.95) | 39 | Santa Clara, CA (57.46) | 39 | Santa Fe, NM (52.77) |
| 40 | Saint Paul, MN (44.89) | 40 | San Mateo, CA (57.42) | 40 | San Marcos, CA (52.73) |
| 41 | Cincinnati, OH (44.65) | 41 | Murrieta, CA (57.34) | 41 | Fishers, IN (51.73) |
| 42 | Long Beach, CA (44.65) | 42 | Davie, FL (57.21) | 42 | Livermore, CA (51.72) |
| 43 | Oklahoma City, OK (44.25) | 43 | Fort Collins, CO (56.78) | 43 | Bloomington, IN (51.41) |
| 44 | New Orleans, LA (43.84) | 44 | Scottsdale, AZ (56.74) | 44 | Lake Forest, CA (51.26) |
| 45 | Bakersfield, CA (43.45) | 45 | Fontana, CA (56.70) | 45 | Hawthorne, CA (51.07) |
| 46 | Lexington, KY (43.02) | 46 | Sandy Springs, GA (56.32) | 46 | Bryan, TX (51.02) |
| 47 | Indianapolis, IN (41.97) | 47 | Arvada, CO (56.06) | 47 | Deltona, FL (50.99) |
| 48 | Philadelphia, PA (41.82) | 48 | North Las Vegas, NV (55.90) | 48 | O Fallon, MO (50.93) |
| 49 | Louisville, KY (40.21) | 49 | Fremont, CA (55.83) | 49 | North Richland Hills, TX (50.61) |
| 50 | Corpus Christi, TX (38.61) | 50 | Gilbert, AZ (55.67) | 50 | Sunrise, FL (50.05) |
| 51 | Chicago, IL (38.34) | 51 | Sunnyvale, CA (55.51) | 51 | Sandy, UT (49.40) |
| 52 | New York, NY (36.91) | 52 | Cambridge, MA (55.24) | 52 | Rock Hill, SC (49.37) |
| 53 | Tucson, AZ (36.16) | 53 | Tacoma, WA (54.79) | 53 | Spokane Valley, WA (49.22) |
| 54 | Detroit, MI (35.75) | 54 | Grand Rapids, MI (54.71) | 54 | Upland, CA (49.13) |
| 55 | Saint Louis, MO (35.65) | 55 | Fargo, ND (54.21) | 55 | Plantation, FL (49.02) |
| 56 | El Paso, TX (35.46) | 56 | Vancouver, WA (53.99) | 56 | Chico, CA (48.93) |
| 57 | Honolulu, HI (35.40) | 57 | Palm Bay, FL (53.96) | 57 | Hesperia, CA (48.90) |
| 58 | Pittsburgh, PA (35.39) | 58 | Richmond, VA (53.95) | 58 | Citrus Heights, CA (48.68) |
| 59 | Wichita, KS (35.26) | 59 | Irving, TX (53.80) | 59 | Pharr, TX (48.46) |
| 60 | Baltimore, MD (34.92) | 60 | West Palm Beach, FL (53.79) | 60 | Redding, CA (48.21) |
| 61 | Virginia Beach, VA (34.17) | 61 | Hayward, CA (53.73) | 61 | Federal Way, WA (48.21) |
| 62 | Milwaukee, WI (33.05) | 62 | Daly City, CA (53.66) | 62 | Deerfield Beach, FL (47.87) |
| 63 | Cleveland, OH (31.50) | 63 | Richmond, CA (53.57) | 63 | Yuma, AZ (47.85) |
| 64 | Tulsa, OK (31.45) | 64 | Sioux Falls, SD (53.42) | 64 | Folsom, CA (47.22) |
| 65 | Albuquerque, NM (31.36) | 65 | Everett, WA (53.23) | 65 | Gastonia, NC (47.15) |
| 66 | Memphis, TN (28.33) | 66 | Allen, TX (53.20) | 66 | San Leandro, CA (47.12) |
| 67 | Centennial, CO (53.18) | 67 | Redlands, CA (46.89) | ||
| 68 | Concord, CA (53.02) | 68 | Rapid City, SD (46.85) | ||
| 69 | Fort Lauderdale, FL (53.00) | 69 | Turlock, CA (46.83) | ||
| 70 | Lakewood, CO (52.97) | 70 | Bellflower, CA (46.81) | ||
| 71 | Durham, NC (52.84) | 71 | Missouri City, TX (46.74) | ||
| 72 | Salem, OR (52.41) | 72 | Ogden, UT (46.58) | ||
| 73 | Elk Grove, CA (52.12) | 73 | Baldwin Park, CA (46.57) | ||
| 74 | Temecula, CA (52.09) | 74 | Baytown, TX (46.56) | ||
| 75 | Moreno Valley, CA (52.05) | 75 | Lawrence, KS (46.49) | ||
| 76 | Carrollton, TX (51.88) | 76 | Plymouth, MN (46.47) | ||
| 77 | Clarksville, TN (51.58) | 77 | Lynwood, CA (46.46) | ||
| 78 | Corona, CA (51.56) | 78 | Beaverton, OR (46.46) | ||
| 79 | Highlands Ranch, CO (51.47) | 79 | Alameda, CA (46.39) | ||
| 80 | Hollywood, FL (51.36) | 80 | Merced, CA (46.21) | ||
| 81 | Lewisville, TX (50.81) | 81 | Napa, CA (46.19) | ||
| 82 | Pompano Beach, FL (50.79) | 82 | Silver Spring, MD (45.45) | ||
| 83 | Saint Petersburg, FL (50.78) | 83 | Buena Park, CA (45.33) | ||
| 84 | Glendale, CA (50.65) | 84 | Arlington Heights, IL (45.23) | ||
| 85 | Lakeland, FL (50.43) | 85 | Lynchburg, VA (45.16) | ||
| 86 | Vista, CA (50.39) | 86 | Roswell, GA (44.98) | ||
| 87 | Vallejo, CA (50.20) | 87 | Bethlehem, PA (44.89) | ||
| 88 | Eugene, OR (50.10) | 88 | Edmond, OK (44.74) | ||
| 89 | Antioch, CA (49.97) | 89 | Brockton, MA (44.67) | ||
| 90 | Waco, TX (49.86) | 90 | Wyoming, MI (44.63) | ||
| 91 | Modesto, CA (49.84) | 91 | Rochester, MI (44.62) | ||
| 92 | Peoria, AZ (49.82) | 92 | Lakewood, CA (44.56) | ||
| 93 | Chula Vista, CA (49.81) | 93 | Kalamazoo, MI (44.18) | ||
| 94 | Hialeah, FL (49.78) | 94 | Weston, FL (44.10) | ||
| 95 | Boise, ID (49.78) | 95 | Lees Summit, MO (44.02) | ||
| 96 | Palmdale, CA (49.71) | 96 | Tustin, CA (43.83) | ||
| 97 | Rialto, CA (49.69) | 97 | Suffolk, VA (43.31) | ||
| 98 | Rochester, MN (49.56) | 98 | Miami Beach, FL (43.29) | ||
| 99 | Provo, UT (49.47) | 99 | Lawrence, MA (42.91) | ||
| 100 | West Jordan, UT (49.04) | 100 | Carson, CA (42.66) | ||
| 101 | Santa Maria, CA (48.99) | 101 | South Gate, CA (42.64) | ||
| 102 | Paradise, NV (48.93) | 102 | Saint Cloud, MN (42.62) | ||
| 103 | Lubbock, TX (48.82) | 103 | Lynn, MA (42.47) | ||
| 104 | Athens-Clarke, GA (48.79) | 104 | Compton, CA (42.32) | ||
| 105 | Visalia, CA (48.71) | 105 | Greenville, NC (42.28) | ||
| 106 | Fairfield, CA (48.70) | 106 | Iowa City, IA (42.15) | ||
| 107 | Glendale, AZ (48.67) | 107 | Missoula, MT (42.04) | ||
| 108 | Salt Lake City, UT (48.64) | 108 | Westminster, CA (41.56) | ||
| 109 | Santa Rosa, CA (48.12) | 109 | Town 'n' Country, FL (41.54) | ||
| 110 | Spokane, WA (47.81) | 110 | Dearborn, MI (41.43) | ||
| 111 | Plano, TX (47.74) | 111 | Sioux City, IA (41.03) | ||
| 112 | San Bernardino, CA (47.50) | 112 | Framingham, MA (40.97) | ||
| 113 | Kent, WA (47.43) | 113 | Eau Claire, WI (40.82) | ||
| 114 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA (47.40) | 114 | Cicero, IL (40.82) | ||
| 115 | Vacaville, CA (47.19) | 115 | Whittier, CA (40.77) | ||
| 116 | West Valley, UT (47.15) | 116 | Union City, NJ (40.72) | ||
| 117 | Berkeley, CA (47.13) | 117 | Lauderhill, FL (40.69) | ||
| 118 | Madison, WI (47.04) | 118 | Reading, PA (40.61) | ||
| 119 | Chandler, AZ (47.01) | 119 | Troy, MI (40.43) | ||
| 120 | Laredo, TX (46.91) | 120 | Southfield, MI (40.00) | ||
| 121 | Tyler, TX (46.75) | 121 | Waukesha, WI (39.41) | ||
| 122 | Grand Prairie, TX (46.69) | 122 | New Bedford, MA (39.40) | ||
| 123 | Wilmington, NC (46.63) | 123 | Redondo Beach, CA (39.26) | ||
| 124 | Des Moines, IA (46.42) | 124 | Quincy, MA (38.46) | ||
| 125 | Coral Springs, FL (46.34) | 125 | Brooklyn Park, MN (38.42) | ||
| 126 | Olathe, KS (46.21) | 126 | Yorba Linda, CA (38.11) | ||
| 127 | Victorville, CA (45.74) | 127 | Santa Monica, CA (38.01) | ||
| 128 | Killeen, TX (45.61) | 128 | Newton, MA (37.93) | ||
| 129 | West Covina, CA (45.28) | 129 | Alhambra, CA (37.93) | ||
| 130 | Miramar, FL (45.10) | 130 | Rio Rancho, NM (37.84) | ||
| 131 | San Angelo, TX (45.05) | 131 | Mission Viejo, CA (37.63) | ||
| 132 | Garland, TX (44.95) | 132 | New Britain, CT (37.41) | ||
| 133 | Fort Wayne, IN (44.89) | 133 | Yakima, WA (37.39) | ||
| 134 | Inglewood, CA (44.82) | 134 | Westland, MI (37.02) | ||
| 135 | Fullerton, CA (44.76) | 135 | Farmington, MI (36.53) | ||
| 136 | Ann Arbor, MI (44.76) | 136 | Santa Barbara, CA (36.39) | ||
| 137 | Overland Park, KS (44.74) | 137 | Cranston, RI (36.23) | ||
| 138 | Costa Mesa, CA (44.63) | 138 | Passaic, NJ (35.83) | ||
| 139 | Pomona, CA (44.16) | 139 | Pawtucket, RI (35.78) | ||
| 140 | Boulder, CO (44.15) | 140 | Parma, OH (35.63) | ||
| 141 | McAllen, TX (44.13) | 141 | East Orange, NJ (35.62) | ||
| 142 | Huntington Beach, CA (44.09) | 142 | Appleton, WI (35.41) | ||
| 143 | Kansas City, KS (43.88) | 143 | Bloomington, MN (35.19) | ||
| 144 | Lincoln, NE (43.77) | 144 | Mount Vernon, NY (34.93) | ||
| 145 | Savannah, GA (43.65) | 145 | Hoover, AL (34.87) | ||
| 146 | Chattanooga, TN (43.64) | 146 | Schaumburg, IL (34.86) | ||
| 147 | Arlington, VA (43.63) | 147 | Livonia, MI (34.84) | ||
| 148 | Tuscaloosa, AL (43.42) | 148 | Ellicott City, MD (34.69) | ||
| 149 | Garden Grove, CA (43.27) | 149 | Mission, TX (34.63) | ||
| 150 | Alexandria, VA (43.18) | 150 | Skokie, IL (34.59) | ||
| 151 | Lancaster, CA (43.16) | 151 | Newport Beach, CA (34.22) | ||
| 152 | Abilene, TX (43.07) | 152 | Kendall, FL (34.14) | ||
| 153 | East Los Angeles, CA (43.01) | 153 | New Rochelle, NY (33.96) | ||
| 154 | Lowell, MA (42.97) | 154 | Racine, WI (33.74) | ||
| 155 | Gainesville, FL (42.89) | 155 | Toms River, NJ (33.72) | ||
| 156 | Columbia, MO (42.84) | 156 | Cheektowaga, NY (33.42) | ||
| 157 | El Cajon, CA (42.75) | 157 | Fall River, MA (33.36) | ||
| 158 | Jersey City, NJ (42.69) | 158 | Scranton, PA (33.20) | ||
| 159 | Carlsbad, CA (42.65) | 159 | Jacksonville, NC (33.12) | ||
| 160 | Huntsville, AL (42.62) | 160 | Muncie, IN (32.78) | ||
| 161 | Pembroke Pines, FL (42.55) | 161 | Wilmington, DE (32.75) | ||
| 162 | Escondido, CA (42.51) | 162 | Clifton, NJ (32.61) | ||
| 163 | Greensboro, NC (42.38) | 163 | Warwick, RI (32.57) | ||
| 164 | Salinas, CA (42.06) | 164 | Saint Joseph, MO (32.35) | ||
| 165 | Springfield, MO (41.89) | 165 | Nashua, NH (32.17) | ||
| 166 | Ventura, CA (41.79) | 166 | Waukegan, IL (31.93) | ||
| 167 | El Monte, CA (41.78) | 167 | Gulfport, MS (31.90) | ||
| 168 | Clearwater, FL (41.68) | 168 | Kenner, LA (31.48) | ||
| 169 | Oxnard, CA (41.54) | 169 | Fort Smith, AR (31.42) | ||
| 170 | Mesquite, TX (41.54) | 170 | Lorain, OH (31.18) | ||
| 171 | South Bend, IN (41.52) | 171 | Youngstown, OH (30.14) | ||
| 172 | Miami Gardens, FL (41.49) | 172 | Bolingbrook, IL (30.13) | ||
| 173 | Orange, CA (41.48) | 173 | Albany, NY (30.03) | ||
| 174 | Elgin, IL (41.43) | 174 | Champaign, IL (29.83) | ||
| 175 | Chesapeake, VA (41.39) | 175 | Roanoke, VA (29.72) | ||
| 176 | Westminster, CO (41.35) | 176 | Gary, IN (29.63) | ||
| 177 | Allentown, PA (41.34) | 177 | Bloomington, IL (29.49) | ||
| 178 | Norwalk, CA (41.31) | 178 | Palatine, IL (29.37) | ||
| 179 | Winston-Salem, NC (41.10) | 179 | Duluth, MN (29.33) | ||
| 180 | Oceanside, CA (41.07) | 180 | Norwalk, CT (28.98) | ||
| 181 | Burbank, CA (40.87) | 181 | Evanston, IL (28.65) | ||
| 182 | Torrance, CA (40.74) | 182 | Longview, TX (28.26) | ||
| 183 | Elizabeth, NJ (40.31) | 183 | Camden, NJ (28.11) | ||
| 184 | Pueblo, CO (40.22) | 184 | Dothan, AL (27.96) | ||
| 185 | Warren, MI (40.05) | 185 | Hammond, IN (27.10) | ||
| 186 | Lansing, MI (39.80) | 186 | Flint, MI (26.80) | ||
| 187 | Downey, CA (39.75) | 187 | Trenton, NJ (25.57) | ||
| 188 | Independence, MO (39.62) | 188 | Danbury, CT (25.53) | ||
| 189 | Norman, OK (39.20) | 189 | Lawton, OK (25.25) | ||
| 190 | Green Bay, WI (39.14) | 190 | Portsmouth, VA (24.97) | ||
| 191 | Metairie, LA (39.09) | 191 | Waterloo, IA (24.43) | ||
| 192 | Worcester, MA (39.08) | 192 | Albany, GA (22.00) | ||
| 193 | Gresham, OR (38.99) | 193 | Decatur, IL (21.26) | ||
| 194 | Amarillo, TX (38.83) | 194 | Erie, PA (19.66) | ||
| 195 | Pasadena, CA (38.79) | 195 | Canton, OH (18.17) | ||
| 196 | High Point, NC (38.78) | ||||
| 197 | Naperville, IL (38.62) | ||||
| 198 | Manchester, NH (38.33) | ||||
| 199 | Newark, NJ (38.12) | ||||
| 200 | Aurora, IL (37.05) | ||||
| 201 | Broken Arrow, OK (36.82) | ||||
| 202 | Dayton, OH (36.73) | ||||
| 203 | Sunrise Manor, NV (36.61) | ||||
| 204 | Springfield, MA (36.46) | ||||
| 205 | Tallahassee, FL (36.18) | ||||
| 206 | Billings, MT (36.15) | ||||
| 207 | Yonkers, NY (35.94) | ||||
| 208 | Columbia, SC (35.42) | ||||
| 209 | Brownsville, TX (35.35) | ||||
| 210 | Knoxville, TN (35.35) | ||||
| 211 | Sterling Heights, MI (35.13) | ||||
| 212 | Akron, OH (34.96) | ||||
| 213 | Hampton, VA (34.92) | ||||
| 214 | Stamford, CT (34.89) | ||||
| 215 | Joliet, IL (34.21) | ||||
| 216 | Cedar Rapids, IA (33.99) | ||||
| 217 | Paterson, NJ (33.99) | ||||
| 218 | Evansville, IN (33.93) | ||||
| 219 | Providence, RI (33.29) | ||||
| 220 | Pasadena, TX (33.16) | ||||
| 221 | Buffalo, NY (32.97) | ||||
| 222 | Lafayette, LA (32.80) | ||||
| 223 | Simi Valley, CA (32.66) | ||||
| 224 | Beaumont, TX (32.66) | ||||
| 225 | Fayetteville, NC (32.65) | ||||
| 226 | Thousand Oaks, CA (32.64) | ||||
| 227 | Kenosha, WI (32.59) | ||||
| 228 | Augusta, GA (32.32) | ||||
| 229 | Syracuse, NY (32.26) | ||||
| 230 | Little Rock, AR (31.62) | ||||
| 231 | Norfolk, VA (31.56) | ||||
| 232 | Las Cruces, NM (31.35) | ||||
| 233 | New Haven, CT (31.29) | ||||
| 234 | Bridgeport, CT (31.22) | ||||
| 235 | Birmingham, AL (30.63) | ||||
| 236 | Wichita Falls, TX (30.30) | ||||
| 237 | Waterbury, CT (29.71) | ||||
| 238 | Newport News, VA (29.57) | ||||
| 239 | Jackson, MS (29.19) | ||||
| 240 | Mobile, AL (29.17) | ||||
| 241 | Hartford, CT (28.68) | ||||
| 242 | Rochester, NY (28.24) | ||||
| 243 | Montgomery, AL (28.06) | ||||
| 244 | Columbia, MD (27.93) | ||||
| 245 | Peoria, IL (26.32) | ||||
| 246 | Rockford, IL (26.04) | ||||
| 247 | Toledo, OH (25.93) | ||||
| 248 | Baton Rouge, LA (25.89) | ||||
| 249 | Topeka, KS (25.75) | ||||
| 250 | Columbus, GA (25.02) | ||||
| 251 | Anchorage, AK (24.16) | ||||
| 252 | Springfield, IL (21.95) | ||||
| 253 | Davenport, IA (21.04) | ||||
| 254 | Shreveport, LA (17.72) |
*No. 1 = Fastest-Growing
Ask the Experts
Rapid city growth can yield both positive and negative effects. Some cities thrive as they expand while others struggle to keep up. For insight into these dynamics, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:
- What are the biggest challenges faced by cities experiencing rapid population growth?
- What should be the key priority for local authorities who want to grow their cities?
- Should local authorities do more to ensure current residents aren’t “priced out” of established neighborhoods in the face of population growth? What are good models for supporting gentrification without displacing residents?
- To what extent are zoning policies and “NIMBY-ism” responsible for skyrocketing housing costs in cities experiencing population growth?
- Are entrepreneurship and employment opportunities disproportionately better in cities that are growing quickly? How so?
Michael Stevens AICP – President, Capitol Riverfront BID & Adjunct Lecturer - SCS MPS Urban and Regional Planning Program at Georgetown University
Allen J. Scott Distinguished Research Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
Russell R. Evans Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Economics, Executive Director, Steven C. Agee Economic Research and Policy Institute, Distinguished Fellow, E Foundation for Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University
Tom Sanchez Ph.D. – Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech
Michael Stevens AICP – President, Capitol Riverfront BID & Adjunct Lecturer - SCS MPS Urban and Regional Planning Program at Georgetown University
Allen J. Scott Distinguished Research Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
Russell R. Evans Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Economics, Executive Director, Steven C. Agee Economic Research and Policy Institute, Distinguished Fellow, E Foundation for Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University
Tom Sanchez Ph.D. – Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia TechIn order to determine the most rapidly growing local economies, WalletHub compared 515 cities of varying population sizes based on two key dimensions, “Sociodemographics” and “Jobs & Economy.”
We evaluated those dimensions using 17 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the fastest economic growth. For each metric, we analyzed data spanning from 2012 to 2018 with the exception of “Increase in Number of Startups” (from 2010 to 2014), “Increase in Number of Businesses” (from 2012 to 2016), “Growth in Regional GDP per Capita” (from 2012 to 2017) and Increase in Venture Capital Investment Amount (from 2012 to 2016).
Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
In determining our sample, we considered only the “city proper” in each case and excluded cities in the surrounding metro area. We categorized each city according to the following population-size guidelines:
- Large city: More than 300,000 people
- Midsize city: 100,000 to 300,000 people
- Small city: Fewer than 100,000 people
- Population Growth: Double Weight (~25.00 Points)
- Working-Age Population Growth: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: “Working-Age Population” includes individuals aged 16 to 64 years.
- Growth in Share of College-Educated Population: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: “College-Educated Population” includes individuals with at least an associate’s degree.
- Job Growth: Double Weight (~6.45 Points)
- Increase in Ratio of Full-Time to Part-Time Jobs: Half Weight (~1.61 Points)
- Median Household Income Growth: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Growth in Share of Households with Annual Income Above $75,000: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Unemployment Rate Decrease: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Poverty Rate Decrease: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Growth in Regional GDP per Capita: Double Weight (~6.45 Points)
- Increase in Number of Businesses: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Increase in Number of Startups: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Increase in Venture Capital Investment Amount: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Growth in Number of Technology Companies: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Median House Price Growth: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Building-Permit Activity Growth: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Foreclosure Rate Decrease: Full Weight (~3.23 Points)
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Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Venture Capital Association and Renwood RealtyTrac.
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