One of the most common questions that we are asked is, “If you could locate a practice anywhere, where would it be?”
While there’s no simple answer to that question, a good place to start is with a list of the fastest growing metropolitan areas. Not only are residents of these cities more likely to be under-served (commercial development comes after residential), but population growth and economic strength tend to go hand-in-hand.
Using the most recent Census Bureau estimates, we’ve ranked the top ten areas with populations over 100,000 residents based on percentage growth from 2013 to 2014.
- The Villages, FL: 5.4% (114,350 residents)
- Myrtle Beach, SC-NC: 3.2% (417,668 residents)
- Austin, TX: 3.0% (1,943,299 residents)
- Odessa, TX: 2.9% (153,904 residents)
- St. George, UT: 2.9% (151,948 residents)
- Cape Coral, FL: 2.7% (679,513 residents)
- Bend, OR: 2.7% (170,388 residents)
- Greeley, CO: 2.6% (277,670 residents)
- Midland, TX: 2.6% (161,290 residents)
- Naples, FL: 2.5% (348,777 residents)
The overall findings are pretty clear: America’s fastest growing regions are concentrated in the South and West.
For instance, six of the top ten cities are located in just two states; Florida and Texas. It’s probably no surprise then that both of those states consistently rank in the top five for population growth. So if you’re looking for a rapidly expanding city, we recommend that you start with lots of sunshine.
