2018’s Fastest-Growing Cities in America
3:32 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 currently seems to be an attractive place to move, as the U.S. Census Bureau reports eight of the 15 cities with the largest population gains in 2017 were located in this region.
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 15 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 (65.83) | 1 | Midland, TX (73.55) | 1 | Fort Myers, FL (76.57) |
| 2 | Miami, FL (65.75) | 2 | Pearland, TX (72.68) | 2 | Bend, OR (72.45) |
| 3 | Seattle, WA (63.47) | 3 | McKinney, TX (71.40) | 3 | Mount Pleasant, SC (70.87) |
| 4 | Charlotte, NC (61.81) | 4 | College Station, TX (71.17) | 4 | Milpitas, CA (70.29) |
| 5 | Denver, CO (61.65) | 5 | Lehigh Acres, FL (71.00) | 5 | Pleasanton, CA (69.39) |
| 6 | Fort Worth, TX (61.59) | 6 | Enterprise, NV (70.87) | 6 | Meridian, ID (69.08) |
| 7 | Henderson, NV (60.21) | 7 | Irvine, CA (70.30) | 7 | Redwood City, CA (67.17) |
| 8 | Nashville, TN (59.87) | 8 | Murfreesboro, TN (69.27) | 8 | Saint George, UT (64.69) |
| 9 | San Francisco, CA (56.89) | 9 | Frisco, TX (67.02) | 9 | Manteca, CA (64.65) |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA (56.81) | 10 | Round Rock, TX (66.31) | 10 | Loveland, CO (64.51) |
| 11 | Oakland, CA (56.40) | 11 | Santa Clarita, CA (64.40) | 11 | Indio, CA (62.28) |
| 12 | San Jose, CA (56.34) | 12 | Cape Coral, FL (64.38) | 12 | Lake Charles, LA (61.74) |
| 13 | Aurora, CO (55.94) | 13 | Greeley, CO (63.35) | 13 | Mountain View, CA (61.12) |
| 14 | San Antonio, TX (54.90) | 14 | Hayward, CA (63.32) | 14 | Concord, NC (60.68) |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC (54.83) | 15 | League City, TX (62.96) | 15 | Boynton Beach, FL (60.51) |
| 16 | Las Vegas, NV (54.39) | 16 | Sandy Springs, GA (62.63) | 16 | Sunrise, FL (60.04) |
| 17 | Dallas, TX (54.02) | 17 | Temecula, CA (62.00) | 17 | Livermore, CA (58.74) |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ (53.50) | 18 | Bellevue, WA (61.37) | 18 | Town 'n' Country, FL (58.31) |
| 19 | Tampa, FL (53.42) | 19 | Denton, TX (60.37) | 19 | Nampa, ID (57.43) |
| 20 | Riverside, CA (52.99) | 20 | Cary, NC (59.68) | 20 | Orem, UT (57.41) |
| 21 | Mesa, AZ (52.71) | 21 | Orlando, FL (59.66) | 21 | Flower Mound, TX (57.13) |
| 22 | Washington, DC (52.20) | 22 | Odessa, TX (59.48) | 22 | Boca Raton, FL (56.69) |
| 23 | Boston, MA (51.98) | 23 | Fargo, ND (59.34) | 23 | Rock Hill, SC (56.68) |
| 24 | Portland, OR (51.42) | 24 | Grand Rapids, MI (58.87) | 24 | Springdale, AR (56.20) |
| 25 | Columbus, OH (51.34) | 25 | Gilbert, AZ (58.80) | 25 | Fishers, IN (55.71) |
| 26 | Jacksonville, FL (50.61) | 26 | Hillsboro, OR (58.72) | 26 | Palm Coast, FL (55.50) |
| 27 | Omaha, NE (50.12) | 27 | Santa Clara, CA (58.67) | 27 | San Marcos, CA (54.75) |
| 28 | Sacramento, CA (50.11) | 28 | Charleston, SC (58.48) | 28 | Fayetteville, AR (54.70) |
| 29 | Minneapolis, MN (49.74) | 29 | North Las Vegas, NV (57.89) | 29 | Asheville, NC (54.19) |
| 30 | Los Angeles, CA (49.14) | 30 | Davie, FL (57.63) | 30 | Hemet, CA (53.82) |
| 31 | Stockton, CA (48.77) | 31 | Scottsdale, AZ (57.35) | 31 | Union City, CA (53.79) |
| 32 | San Diego, CA (48.68) | 32 | Ontario, CA (56.93) | 32 | Ellicott City, MD (53.58) |
| 33 | Fresno, CA (48.37) | 33 | Allen, TX (56.82) | 33 | Carmel, IN (53.39) |
| 34 | Indianapolis, IN (47.22) | 34 | Athens-Clarke, GA (56.77) | 34 | Pharr, TX (53.19) |
| 35 | Santa Ana, CA (46.05) | 35 | Clovis, CA (56.45) | 35 | Chino, CA (53.17) |
| 36 | New Orleans, LA (46.03) | 36 | Arvada, CO (56.19) | 36 | Hesperia, CA (52.81) |
| 37 | Anaheim, CA (45.93) | 37 | Surprise, AZ (56.19) | 37 | Spokane Valley, WA (52.76) |
| 38 | Saint Paul, MN (45.77) | 38 | Reno, NV (56.18) | 38 | Largo, FL (52.67) |
| 39 | Oklahoma City, OK (45.68) | 39 | Centennial, CO (55.95) | 39 | Somerville, MA (52.15) |
| 40 | Bakersfield, CA (45.42) | 40 | Pompano Beach, FL (55.82) | 40 | Bryan, TX (52.12) |
| 41 | Colorado Springs, CO (45.30) | 41 | Thornton, CO (55.69) | 41 | Avondale, AZ (51.68) |
| 42 | Houston, TX (45.24) | 42 | Port Saint Lucie, FL (55.59) | 42 | Deltona, FL (51.47) |
| 43 | Long Beach, CA (44.15) | 43 | San Mateo, CA (55.52) | 43 | Longmont, CO (51.36) |
| 44 | Arlington, TX (43.60) | 44 | Richmond, CA (54.99) | 44 | Compton, CA (51.22) |
| 45 | Kansas City, MO (43.09) | 45 | Coral Springs, FL (54.87) | 45 | Napa, CA (51.07) |
| 46 | Honolulu, HI (42.92) | 46 | Fairfield, CA (54.84) | 46 | Tracy, CA (50.46) |
| 47 | Lexington, KY (42.91) | 47 | North Charleston, SC (54.84) | 47 | Medford, OR (50.36) |
| 48 | Louisville, KY (41.87) | 48 | Lewisville, TX (54.83) | 48 | Weston, FL (50.36) |
| 49 | New York, NY (41.72) | 49 | Durham, NC (54.66) | 49 | Iowa City, IA (50.26) |
| 50 | Pittsburgh, PA (41.55) | 50 | Brandon, FL (54.59) | 50 | Turlock, CA (50.22) |
| 51 | Philadelphia, PA (39.85) | 51 | Sparks, NV (54.44) | 51 | Missoula, MT (50.16) |
| 52 | Cincinnati, OH (39.26) | 52 | Fremont, CA (54.38) | 52 | Santa Fe, NM (49.57) |
| 53 | Saint Louis, MO (39.24) | 53 | Sunnyvale, CA (54.35) | 53 | Plantation, FL (49.56) |
| 54 | Corpus Christi, TX (39.12) | 54 | Miramar, FL (54.17) | 54 | Hawthorne, CA (49.40) |
| 55 | Chicago, IL (38.66) | 55 | Concord, CA (54.06) | 55 | Chino Hills, CA (49.06) |
| 56 | El Paso, TX (36.71) | 56 | Murrieta, CA (53.41) | 56 | Rochester, MI (48.89) |
| 57 | Tucson, AZ (35.03) | 57 | Carrollton, TX (53.35) | 57 | O Fallon, MO (48.81) |
| 58 | Wichita, KS (34.89) | 58 | Rialto, CA (53.35) | 58 | Lake Forest, CA (48.70) |
| 59 | Detroit, MI (34.02) | 59 | Modesto, CA (53.28) | 59 | Deerfield Beach, FL (48.30) |
| 60 | Virginia Beach, VA (33.96) | 60 | Salem, OR (53.20) | 60 | Federal Way, WA (48.14) |
| 61 | Milwaukee, WI (33.72) | 61 | Daly City, CA (53.02) | 61 | Chico, CA (48.13) |
| 62 | Tulsa, OK (32.89) | 62 | Roseville, CA (52.80) | 62 | Union City, NJ (48.05) |
| 63 | Baltimore, MD (32.20) | 63 | Antioch, CA (52.70) | 63 | San Leandro, CA (48.02) |
| 64 | Albuquerque, NM (32.00) | 64 | West Palm Beach, FL (52.44) | 64 | Plymouth, MN (47.82) |
| 65 | Memphis, TN (29.28) | 65 | Victorville, CA (52.35) | 65 | Lynwood, CA (47.64) |
| 66 | Cleveland, OH (28.27) | 66 | Tempe, AZ (52.23) | 66 | Beaverton, OR (47.48) |
| 67 | Pembroke Pines, FL (52.18) | 67 | Sugar Land, TX (47.40) | ||
| 68 | Lakewood, CO (52.17) | 68 | Lees Summit, MO (47.31) | ||
| 69 | Richardson, TX (52.12) | 69 | Wyoming, MI (47.27) | ||
| 70 | Elk Grove, CA (51.81) | 70 | Edinburg, TX (47.04) | ||
| 71 | Saint Petersburg, FL (51.81) | 71 | Apple Valley, CA (46.94) | ||
| 72 | Fort Collins, CO (51.78) | 72 | Santa Barbara, CA (46.88) | ||
| 73 | Palm Bay, FL (51.73) | 73 | Gastonia, NC (46.72) | ||
| 74 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA (51.46) | 74 | Sandy, UT (46.65) | ||
| 75 | Irving, TX (51.38) | 75 | Baldwin Park, CA (46.45) | ||
| 76 | Berkeley, CA (51.03) | 76 | Baytown, TX (46.24) | ||
| 77 | Sioux Falls, SD (50.93) | 77 | North Richland Hills, TX (45.80) | ||
| 78 | Lakeland, FL (50.76) | 78 | Troy, MI (45.46) | ||
| 79 | Tuscaloosa, AL (50.66) | 79 | Mission Viejo, CA (45.05) | ||
| 80 | Clearwater, FL (50.60) | 80 | Southfield, MI (44.93) | ||
| 81 | Corona, CA (50.47) | 81 | Ogden, UT (44.89) | ||
| 82 | Arden-Arcade, CA (50.45) | 82 | Bellflower, CA (44.89) | ||
| 83 | Richmond, VA (50.34) | 83 | South Gate, CA (44.84) | ||
| 84 | Peoria, AZ (50.28) | 84 | Citrus Heights, CA (44.79) | ||
| 85 | Cambridge, MA (50.06) | 85 | Melbourne, FL (44.72) | ||
| 86 | Carlsbad, CA (50.04) | 86 | Sioux City, IA (44.65) | ||
| 87 | Fontana, CA (50.02) | 87 | Rapid City, SD (44.54) | ||
| 88 | Eugene, OR (49.78) | 88 | Layton, UT (44.52) | ||
| 89 | Vallejo, CA (49.58) | 89 | Bellingham, WA (44.32) | ||
| 90 | Grand Prairie, TX (49.46) | 90 | Alameda, CA (44.15) | ||
| 91 | Spring Valley, NV (49.43) | 91 | New Rochelle, NY (44.02) | ||
| 92 | Everett, WA (49.25) | 92 | Folsom, CA (43.99) | ||
| 93 | Savannah, GA (49.11) | 93 | Kalamazoo, MI (43.89) | ||
| 94 | Boise, ID (48.82) | 94 | Edmond, OK (43.77) | ||
| 95 | Provo, UT (48.73) | 95 | Westminster, CA (43.71) | ||
| 96 | Chula Vista, CA (48.70) | 96 | Missouri City, TX (43.63) | ||
| 97 | Hollywood, FL (48.64) | 97 | Lynn, MA (43.53) | ||
| 98 | Santa Rosa, CA (48.64) | 98 | Miami Beach, FL (43.52) | ||
| 99 | Moreno Valley, CA (48.62) | T-99 | Brooklyn Park, MN (43.13) | ||
| 100 | Fort Lauderdale, FL (48.44) | T-99 | Bloomington, IN (43.11) | ||
| 101 | Sunrise Manor, NV (48.36) | 101 | Tustin, CA (42.69) | ||
| 102 | Salt Lake City, UT (48.28) | 102 | Appleton, WI (42.48) | ||
| 103 | Wilmington, NC (48.10) | 103 | Lawrence, MA (42.46) | ||
| 104 | Plano, TX (47.96) | 104 | Yorba Linda, CA (42.36) | ||
| 105 | Vista, CA (47.95) | 105 | Redlands, CA (42.25) | ||
| 106 | Oceanside, CA (47.88) | 106 | Newton, MA (42.07) | ||
| 107 | Paradise, NV (47.87) | 107 | Buena Park, CA (41.92) | ||
| 108 | Waco, TX (47.87) | 108 | Redding, CA (41.47) | ||
| 109 | Glendale, CA (47.85) | 109 | Upland, CA (41.40) | ||
| 110 | Overland Park, KS (47.84) | 110 | Newport Beach, CA (41.18) | ||
| 111 | Visalia, CA (47.81) | 111 | Lynchburg, VA (41.07) | ||
| 112 | Clarksville, TN (47.65) | 112 | Eau Claire, WI (40.87) | ||
| 113 | Hialeah, FL (47.55) | 113 | Alhambra, CA (40.78) | ||
| 114 | Norwalk, CA (47.51) | 114 | Nashua, NH (40.70) | ||
| 115 | Chattanooga, TN (47.14) | 115 | Lakewood, CA (40.61) | ||
| 116 | Billings, MT (47.06) | 116 | Champaign, IL (40.54) | ||
| 117 | Metairie, LA (47.04) | 117 | Yuma, AZ (40.51) | ||
| 118 | Pasadena, CA (46.97) | 118 | Pawtucket, RI (40.47) | ||
| 119 | Fullerton, CA (46.66) | 119 | Roswell, GA (40.45) | ||
| 120 | Tacoma, WA (46.65) | 120 | Waukesha, WI (40.38) | ||
| 121 | Miami Gardens, FL (46.63) | 121 | Merced, CA (40.02) | ||
| 122 | Laredo, TX (46.58) | 122 | Brockton, MA (40.02) | ||
| 123 | Madison, WI (46.57) | 123 | Rio Rancho, NM (40.00) | ||
| 124 | Olathe, KS (46.45) | 124 | Cranston, RI (39.98) | ||
| 125 | West Covina, CA (46.41) | 125 | Clifton, NJ (39.63) | ||
| 126 | Rochester, MN (46.37) | 126 | Greenville, NC (39.61) | ||
| 127 | Glendale, AZ (46.13) | 127 | Farmington, MI (39.55) | ||
| 128 | Kansas City, KS (45.97) | 128 | Quincy, MA (39.50) | ||
| 129 | Vancouver, WA (45.91) | 129 | Muncie, IN (39.30) | ||
| 130 | Sterling Heights, MI (45.87) | 130 | Mission, TX (39.05) | ||
| 131 | San Bernardino, CA (45.87) | 131 | Santa Monica, CA (38.76) | ||
| 132 | Vacaville, CA (45.85) | 132 | Cicero, IL (38.69) | ||
| 133 | Salinas, CA (45.76) | 133 | Whittier, CA (38.53) | ||
| 134 | Kent, WA (45.68) | 134 | Kendall, FL (38.47) | ||
| 135 | Inglewood, CA (45.42) | 135 | Mount Vernon, NY (38.40) | ||
| 136 | Arlington, VA (45.22) | 136 | Framingham, MA (38.10) | ||
| 137 | Winston-Salem, NC (45.22) | 137 | Bethlehem, PA (37.94) | ||
| 138 | Jersey City, NJ (45.20) | 138 | Hoover, AL (37.85) | ||
| 139 | Downey, CA (45.16) | 139 | New Bedford, MA (37.73) | ||
| T-140 | Garland, TX (45.08) | 140 | Suffolk, VA (37.63) | ||
| T-140 | Lubbock, TX (45.02) | 141 | Bolingbrook, IL (36.95) | ||
| 142 | Ann Arbor, MI (45.01) | 142 | Livonia, MI (36.95) | ||
| 143 | Killeen, TX (44.92) | 143 | Westland, MI (36.94) | ||
| 144 | El Monte, CA (44.83) | 144 | San Angelo, TX (36.85) | ||
| 145 | Boulder, CO (44.82) | 145 | Duluth, MN (36.84) | ||
| 146 | McAllen, TX (44.74) | 146 | Palatine, IL (36.83) | ||
| 147 | Spring Hill, FL (44.64) | 147 | East Orange, NJ (36.79) | ||
| 148 | Chesapeake, VA (44.51) | 148 | Arlington Heights, IL (36.67) | ||
| 149 | Lancaster, CA (44.47) | 149 | Carson, CA (36.56) | ||
| 150 | Gresham, OR (44.43) | 150 | Silver Spring, MD (36.37) | ||
| 151 | Pomona, CA (44.32) | 151 | Roanoke, VA (36.31) | ||
| 152 | Huntsville, AL (44.27) | 152 | Lauderhill, FL (36.27) | ||
| 153 | Torrance, CA (43.86) | 153 | Redondo Beach, CA (36.23) | ||
| 154 | Burbank, CA (43.84) | 154 | Lawrence, KS (36.20) | ||
| 155 | Des Moines, IA (43.82) | 155 | Kenosha, WI (36.18) | ||
| 156 | Alexandria, VA (43.65) | 156 | Kenner, LA (36.00) | ||
| 157 | Palmdale, CA (43.52) | 157 | Warwick, RI (35.86) | ||
| 158 | Chandler, AZ (43.46) | 158 | Yakima, WA (35.85) | ||
| 159 | West Jordan, UT (43.41) | 159 | Bloomington, MN (35.74) | ||
| 160 | El Cajon, CA (43.39) | 160 | Saint Cloud, MN (35.70) | ||
| 161 | Westminster, CO (43.14) | 161 | Albany, NY (35.52) | ||
| 162 | West Valley, UT (42.95) | 162 | Danbury, CT (35.41) | ||
| 163 | Tyler, TX (42.89) | 163 | Schaumburg, IL (35.25) | ||
| 164 | Orange, CA (42.86) | 164 | Toms River, NJ (34.89) | ||
| 165 | Highlands Ranch, CO (42.67) | 165 | Skokie, IL (34.66) | ||
| 166 | Lincoln, NE (42.38) | 166 | Waterloo, IA (34.59) | ||
| 167 | Warren, MI (42.22) | 167 | Parma, OH (34.22) | ||
| 168 | Huntington Beach, CA (42.20) | 168 | Passaic, NJ (34.19) | ||
| 169 | Escondido, CA (41.86) | 169 | Gulfport, MS (34.18) | ||
| 170 | Oxnard, CA (41.43) | 170 | South Bend, IN (33.79) | ||
| 171 | Columbia, MO (41.37) | 171 | Fall River, MA (33.50) | ||
| 172 | Columbia, SC (41.19) | 172 | Scranton, PA (33.10) | ||
| 173 | Norman, OK (41.13) | 173 | Dothan, AL (33.09) | ||
| 174 | Allentown, PA (41.04) | 174 | Wilmington, DE (32.99) | ||
| 175 | Broken Arrow, OK (40.95) | 175 | Fort Smith, AR (32.60) | ||
| 176 | Garden Grove, CA (40.94) | 176 | New Britain, CT (32.60) | ||
| 177 | Santa Maria, CA (40.68) | 177 | Reading, PA (32.30) | ||
| 178 | Naperville, IL (40.41) | 178 | Saint Joseph, MO (32.13) | ||
| 179 | Brownsville, TX (40.19) | 179 | Camden, NJ (31.98) | ||
| 180 | Tallahassee, FL (40.09) | 180 | Portsmouth, VA (31.69) | ||
| 181 | High Point, NC (40.06) | 181 | Jacksonville, NC (31.62) | ||
| 182 | Stamford, CT (40.03) | 182 | Bloomington, IL (31.43) | ||
| 183 | Greensboro, NC (40.01) | 183 | Canton, OH (31.18) | ||
| 184 | Springfield, MO (39.70) | 184 | Gary, IN (31.15) | ||
| 185 | Gainesville, FL (39.22) | 185 | Racine, WI (31.02) | ||
| 186 | Costa Mesa, CA (38.94) | 186 | Norwalk, CT (30.18) | ||
| 187 | New Haven, CT (38.92) | 187 | Evanston, IL (29.40) | ||
| 188 | Elizabeth, NJ (38.14) | 188 | Albany, GA (29.05) | ||
| 189 | Aurora, IL (38.06) | 189 | Dearborn, MI (28.64) | ||
| 190 | East Los Angeles, CA (37.84) | 190 | Waukegan, IL (28.40) | ||
| 191 | Ventura, CA (37.82) | 191 | Lorain, OH (28.16) | ||
| 192 | Newark, NJ (37.31) | 192 | Flint, MI (27.92) | ||
| 193 | Birmingham, AL (37.24) | 193 | Trenton, NJ (26.49) | ||
| 194 | Knoxville, TN (36.96) | 194 | Hammond, IN (25.62) | ||
| 195 | Spokane, WA (36.95) | 195 | Longview, TX (24.78) | ||
| 196 | Amarillo, TX (36.86) | 196 | Cheektowaga, NY (21.99) | ||
| 197 | Yonkers, NY (36.58) | 197 | Youngstown, OH (20.92) | ||
| 198 | Green Bay, WI (36.32) | 198 | Lawton, OK (20.89) | ||
| 199 | Lowell, MA (36.18) | 199 | Erie, PA (20.18) | ||
| 200 | Norfolk, VA (35.86) | 200 | Decatur, IL (16.47) | ||
| 201 | Lansing, MI (35.85) | ||||
| 202 | Springfield, MA (35.79) | ||||
| 203 | Abilene, TX (35.65) | ||||
| 204 | Mesquite, TX (35.61) | ||||
| 205 | Little Rock, AR (35.42) | ||||
| 206 | Dayton, OH (35.35) | ||||
| 207 | Fort Wayne, IN (35.20) | ||||
| 208 | Paterson, NJ (34.82) | ||||
| 209 | Thousand Oaks, CA (34.81) | ||||
| 210 | Cedar Rapids, IA (34.77) | ||||
| 211 | Worcester, MA (34.41) | ||||
| 212 | Independence, MO (34.39) | ||||
| 213 | Lafayette, LA (34.37) | ||||
| 214 | Pueblo, CO (34.28) | ||||
| 215 | Simi Valley, CA (34.07) | ||||
| 216 | Beaumont, TX (33.48) | ||||
| 217 | Bridgeport, CT (33.39) | ||||
| 218 | Buffalo, NY (33.22) | ||||
| 219 | Manchester, NH (33.05) | ||||
| 220 | Elgin, IL (33.04) | ||||
| 221 | Akron, OH (33.01) | ||||
| 222 | Providence, RI (32.63) | ||||
| 223 | Newport News, VA (31.56) | ||||
| 224 | Hampton, VA (31.34) | ||||
| 225 | Evansville, IN (30.70) | ||||
| 226 | Topeka, KS (30.51) | ||||
| 227 | Davenport, IA (30.35) | ||||
| 228 | Rochester, NY (30.21) | ||||
| 229 | Syracuse, NY (30.16) | ||||
| 230 | Pasadena, TX (30.03) | ||||
| 231 | Augusta, GA (29.92) | ||||
| 232 | Hartford, CT (29.89) | ||||
| 233 | Rockford, IL (29.80) | ||||
| 234 | Peoria, IL (29.62) | ||||
| 235 | Wichita Falls, TX (29.34) | ||||
| 236 | Las Cruces, NM (28.97) | ||||
| 237 | Mobile, AL (28.59) | ||||
| 238 | Jackson, MS (28.41) | ||||
| 239 | Fayetteville, NC (28.15) | ||||
| 240 | Toledo, OH (27.84) | ||||
| 241 | Joliet, IL (27.55) | ||||
| 242 | Columbus, GA (27.47) | ||||
| 243 | Anchorage, AK (27.17) | ||||
| 244 | Baton Rouge, LA (25.59) | ||||
| 245 | Columbia, MD (24.02) | ||||
| 246 | Springfield, IL (23.29) | ||||
| 247 | Waterbury, CT (23.03) | ||||
| 248 | Montgomery, AL (22.35) | ||||
| 249 | Shreveport, LA (17.27) |
*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?
Edward J. Jepson Jr. Lecturer, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Douglas S. Kelbaugh FAIA Emil Lorch Collegiate Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning and Dean Emeritus, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, University of Michigan
Lucie Laurian Professor, Urban and Regional Planning Program, University of Iowa
Patrick McNamara Professor, Director of International Studies; Director of Schwalb Center for Israel, Jewish Studies and the Middle East; Faculty – Political Science Department, Faculty Fellow – Daugherty Water for Food Institute, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Austin Troy Chair and Professor Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Colorado Denver
James P. Gaines Chief Economist, Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University
Edward J. Jepson Jr. Lecturer, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Douglas S. Kelbaugh FAIA Emil Lorch Collegiate Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning and Dean Emeritus, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, University of Michigan
Lucie Laurian Professor, Urban and Regional Planning Program, University of Iowa
Patrick McNamara Professor, Director of International Studies; Director of Schwalb Center for Israel, Jewish Studies and the Middle East; Faculty – Political Science Department, Faculty Fellow – Daugherty Water for Food Institute, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Austin Troy Chair and Professor Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Colorado Denver
James P. Gaines Chief Economist, Real Estate Center at Texas A&M UniversityIn 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 15 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 2011 to 2017 with the exception of “Increase in Number of Startups” (from 2010 to 2014), “Increase in Number of Businesses” (from 2011 to 2016) and Increase in Venture Capital Investment Amount (from 2011 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 cities: More than 300,000 people
- Midsize cities: 100,000 to 300,000 people
- Small cities: 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.
- College-Educated Population Growth: Full Weight (~12.50 points)Note: “College-Educated Population” includes individuals with at least an associate’s degree.
- Job Growth: Double Weight (~7.41 points)
- Increase in Ratio of Full-Time to Part-Time Jobs: Half Weight (~1.85 points)
- Median Household Income Growth: Full Weight (~3.70 points)
- Unemployment Rate Decrease: Full Weight (~3.70 points)
- Poverty Rate Decrease: Full Weight (~3.70 points)
- Growth in Regional GDP per Capita: Double Weight (~7.41 points)
- Increase in Number of Businesses: Full Weight (~3.70 points)
- Increase in Number of Startups: Full Weight (~3.70 points)
- Increase in Venture Capital Investment Amount: Full Weight (~3.70 points)
- Median House Price Growth: Full Weight (~3.70 points)
- Building-Permit Activity Growth: Full Weight (~3.70 points)
- Foreclosure Rate Decrease: Full Weight (~3.70 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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