- WalletHub determined which US cities are currently seeing the most rapid economic growth.
- The October study analyzed 515 cities of different population sizes based on 17 metrics that measure a city’s performance over a seven-year period.
- The 17 metrics, which included population growth and median household income, were weighted to create a final score between 0 and 100 for each city.
- The list singles out the South and the West as the fastest-growing regions in the country.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Millennials are ditching giant hubs like New York City and San Francisco and looking to shack up elsewhere.
Rapid economic growth plays a key part in what makes up-and-coming cities attractive potential landing spots. WalletHub recently analyzed 515 US cities to identify the locales that experienced the highest levels of economic growth over the last seven years.
Each city received a final growth score between 0 and 100 based on 17 relevant metrics. The metrics fell into categories representing sociodemographics or jobs and economy, including: population growth; college-educated population growth; job growth; median household income growth; growth in homes with $75,000+ annual income; decrease in unemployment rate; increase in number of businesses; and growth in regional GDP per capita.
The 25 cities that scored the highest are scattered across 12 states, most of which are clustered in the South and the West. Texas leads the list, appearing on the list seven times; Florida is close behind, with five cities ranked among the top 25.
Keep reading for a look at the fastest-growing US cities. They are ranked below in ascending order of final score.
25. Seattle, Washington
Total score: 64.55
Job and economy rank: 100
Seattle has a population of 730,000. According to TripSavvy, some of the biggest employers in Seattle include Boeing, Amazon, and Microsoft.
24. Brandon, Florida
Total score: 64.55
Job and economy rank: 288
Brandon is a small city with a population just over 100,000. It's about 13 miles east of Tampa.
23. Greeley, Colorado
Total score: 64.7
Job and economy rank: 5
About 50 miles north of Denver, Greeley is a small city with a population of roughly 107,000.
22. Spring Valley, Nevada
Total score: 65.42
Job and economy rank: 121
Spring Valley has a population of 200,000 and sits right between Las Vegas and Red Rock Canyon. It was also just named one of the best places to live in the US.
21. Sugar Land, Texas
Total score: 65.52
Job and economy rank: 472
Just southwest of Houston, Sugar Land has a population of 118,600.
20. Santa Clarita, California
Total score: 65.58
Job and economy rank: 42
With a population of 210,000, Santa Clarita is the third-largest city in Los Angeles County. It is just outside of the city of Los Angeles and its main attraction is a Six Flags.
19. Arden-Arcade, California
Total score: 66.11
Job and economy rank: 277
Arden-Arcade has a population slightly under 100,000 and is best known as a suburb of Sacramento.
18. Miami, Florida
Total score: 66.54
Job and economy rank: 24
Miami has a population of nearly 471,000. The area's biggest employers include Publix Super Markets, Baptist Health, and the University of Miami, according to the South Florida Business Journal.
17. Milpitas, California
Total score: 66.54
Job and economy rank: 30
Milpitas, a small California city located between San Jose and Fremont, has a population of 80,000.
16. Concord, North Carolina
Total score: 66.91
Job and economy rank: 95
Concord, best known as a suburb of Charlotte, has a population of 94,000. According to the Triad Business Journal, the largest employers in the area are Spectrum, Walmart Inc., and Atrium Health.
15. Austin, Texas
Total score: 67.3
Job and economy rank: 36
Austin has a population of roughly 964,000. With live music, a booming tech scene, and 150 new residents arriving daily, US News just ranked Austin as the best place to live in America.
14. Midland, Texas
Total score: 67.46
Job and economy rank: 99
Midland is in West Texas, between Forth Worth and El Paso, and has a population of 142,000. Midland has always been an oil city, and in 2016, it was even the highest-earning metro area in the US.
13. McKinney, Texas
Total score: 69.23
Job and economy ranking: 129
McKinney has a population of 192,000 and is roughly 30 miles from Dallas. It also has the most expensive high school football stadium in the country - it cost $70 million to build and seats 12,000.
12. Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Total score: 69.96
Job and economy rank: 122
Murfreesboro, typically recognized for its Civil War history, is southwest of Nashville and has a population of 141,000.
11. College Station, Texas
Total score: 70.54
Job and economy ranking: 50
The focal point of College Station is Texas A&M University, which houses the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. It has a population of 116,000.
10. Round Rock, Texas
Total score: 70.99
Job and economy rank: 28
With a population of nearly 129,000, Round Rock is a part of the greater Austin metropolitan area. Round Rock and Austin are frequently linked, as they were earlier this year in a Business Insider list of the best places for startups.
9. Cape Coral, Florida
Total score: 71.56
Job and economy rank: 11
Cape Coral is adjacent to Fort Myers, which is also on this list, and has a population of 189,000. Business Insider previously reported that Cape Coral has a high percentage of vacation homes.
8. Saint George, Utah
Total score: 72.42
Job and economy rank: 2
Saint George has a population of 171,000. It also has a healthy job market with an unemployment rate at 2.8%, the lowest it has been in the city since 2007. SkyWest Airlines is headquartered in Saint George.
7. Meridian, Idaho
Total score: 73.76
Job and economy rank: 125
Meridian, the third-largest city in Idaho, has a population of nearly 107,000. The city's motto is "Built for business, designed for living."
6. Fort Myers, Florida
Total score: 73.88
Job and economy ranking: 13
Fort Myers, a popular beach home destination, has a population of 82,000 and serves as the headquarters of the women's retailer Chico's and the clinical laboratory Neogenomics.
5. Frisco, Texas
Total score: 74.25
Job and economy ranking: 155
Frisco is part of the Dallas metro area and has a population of 188,000. The median home value in Frisco is $396,800, making it one of the best cities to buy a home in right now.
4. Enterprise, Nevada
Total score: 76.62
Job and economy ranking: 65
Enterprise has a population just over 108,000. It is near Las Vegas and in addition to being one of the fastest-growing cities in the US, it is also a popular choice for buying a vacation home. Business Insider previously reported that 7.04% of the homes in the area are secondary homes.
3. Bend, Oregon
Total score: 78.1
Job and economy rank: 4
Bend has a population nearing 98,000, and its long-term growth has been impressive. According to the 2000 census, Bend had a population of 52,000 almost 20 years ago.
2. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Total score: 79.47
Job and Economy rank: 37
Mount Pleasant, just across the bridge from Charleston, has a population just over 89,000. According to the Post and Courier, that's a 27.5% increase since 2010.
1. Lehigh Acres, Florida
Total score: 82.11
Job and economy rank: 3
Lehigh Acres is a predominantly residential area near Fort Myers and Cape Coral, which are also on this list. It has a population of nearly 118,000. According to Data USA, Lehigh Acres recently saw a 6.77% growth in employees and a 6.98% growth in the median household income.