It might not surprise you to learn that the population of places like New York City and Philadelphia have been declining. But where are all of the people going?
The short answer is that people are fleeing certain cities and are heading to more affordable places to live that have nicer weather. But for some more specifics, here are the 10 fastest-growing U.S. cities as of the latest Census Bureau data, and why people are choosing to move to these areas in particular.
Fastest-growing U.S. cities
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, all but one of the 10 fastest growing metropolitan areas from 2020-2024 were either in Texas or in the Southeastern U.S.
Here are the entire top 10:
| Rank | Metro Area | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin, Texas | 25.8% |
| 2 | Raleigh, North Carolina | 19.8% |
| 3 | Orlando, Florida | 19.7% |
| 4 | Charleston, South Carolina | 18.5% |
| 5 | Houston, Texas | 17.4% |
| 6 | Sarasota, Florida | 16.8% |
| 7 | San Antonio, Texas | 16.6% |
| 8 | Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas | 16.6% |
| 9 | Phoenix, Arizona | 15.6% |
| 10 | Nashville, Tennessee | 15.4% |
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Fastest-growing states
According to the latest data from the Census Bureau, eight states experienced population declines in 2023, led by New York and California. This leaves 42 states that experienced population growth, although much of the net migration is concentrated in the Southern U.S., particularly along the East Coast. This certainly isn’t surprising, considering the city-level data discussed earlier.
In fact, the fastest-growing U.S. state in 2023 was South Carolina at 1.7%, followed by Florida at 1.6%. 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?
Aside from having nice weather, there are other reasons people are choosing to leave major cities in the Northeastern U.S. and on the West Coast in favor of the metro areas you see on the list above.
Job growth is one big reason. Every single state represented in the table above is in the top seven states when it comes to overall job growth. Florida and North Carolina are numbers two and three on the list, according to U.S. News and World Report.
It isn’t just about job growth. Many of the places with the fastest-growing populations also have above-average wage growth. Texas and South Carolina had annual wage growth of 4% and 3.8% in 2023, respectively, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Last but certainly not least, the places where we’re seeing the fastest population growth are among those where it’s most affordable to live. To be sure, Texas, the Carolinas, Arizona, and Tennessee aren’t the most affordable states in the U.S., but none are near the bottom of the list either. And all of the metro areas in the chart still have (relatively) affordable housing, making buying a home more attainable than in some of the areas with declining populations.
In a nutshell, people want to live where the weather is warm, there are plenty of well-paying jobs, and where those jobs make it easier to formulate a budget to live a comfortable lifestyle than other areas. And we’re clearly seeing this reflected in the most recent migration trends.
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