These 10 Cities Are Growing Fastest in the US

It won’t surprise you that the population of places like New York City and Philadelphia is declining. But where are all those people going?

The short answer is that people are fleeing certain cities and moving to more affordable places with better weather to live. But for a little more detail, here are the 10 fastest-growing U.S. cities according to the latest Census Bureau data, and why people are choosing to move to these areas in particular.

Fastest Growing US Cities

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, all but one of the 10 fastest-growing metro areas from 2020-2024 were in Texas or the Southeastern U.S.

Here’s the full top 10:

Data source: US Census Bureau.

Fastest Growing States

According to the latest data from the Census Bureau, eight states will experience population declines in 2023, led by New York and California. This leaves 42 states that will have experienced population growth, although much of the net migration is concentrated in the Southern U.S., particularly along the East Coast. This is certainly not surprising, given the city-level data discussed earlier.

The fastest-growing U.S. state in 2023 was South Carolina at 1.7 percent, followed by Florida at 1.6 percent. Numerically, however, Texas added the most to its population, with a net change of more than 473,000.

Why are these cities and states growing so fast?

Besides the great weather, there are other reasons why people choose to leave the big cities in the Northeastern US and on the West Coast for the metropolitan areas you see above.

Job growth is a big reason. Every state listed in the table above is in the top seven states for overall job growth. Florida and North Carolina are number two and three on the list, according to U.S. News and World Report.

It’s not just about job growth. Many of the places with the fastest growing populations also have above-average wage growthAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas and South Carolina will experience annual wage growth of 4% and 3.8%, respectively, in 2023.

Last but not least, the places where we see the fastest population growth are among the most affordable places to live. To be sure, Texas, the Carolinas, Arizona, and Tennessee are not the most affordable states in the US, but none are at the bottom of the list. And all of the metro areas in the chart still have (relatively) affordable housing, making home ownership more feasible than in some areas with declining populations.

In short, people want to live where the weather is warm, where there are lots of good-paying jobs, and where those jobs make it easier to budget for a comfortable life than in other areas. And we see this clearly reflected in the most recent migration trends.

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