Over the past five years, the population of the United States has grown by 2.7 percent. In 2016, the population was approximately 327 million; by 2021, it had increased to nearly 332 million. Immigration is the primary reason for this growth. The West and South are the preferred relocation destinations for Americans, and these regions are also home to the nation’s fastest-growing urban centers.
To determine the top 20 fastest-growing large cities, CEOWORLD magazine analyzed population data from the 2021 American Community Survey one-year estimates provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. All metropolitan statistical areas with at least a 15 percent increase in population from 2016 to 2021 have been included in the list. To calculate employment growth from 2016 to 2021, seasonally adjusted December employment figures have been added from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Several factors, such as thriving local economies, more affordable cost of living, appealing retirement destinations, vibrant college-town atmospheres, and milder climates, have contributed to the expansion of certain cities in the United States.
Almost half of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. are located in the South, which now has 40 percent of the country’s population. This includes three urban areas in Tennessee and two in North Carolina. Apart from the South, Idaho and Utah have also seen a rapid rise in their metropolitan areas. The list comprises three prominent Idaho cities: Coeur d’Alene, Boise City, and Pocatello. Idaho is benefiting from an influx of residents leaving California’s high-cost state.
Utah’s St. George and Provo-Orem have made it to the list of cities with the lowest unemployment rates, both below 2%. They also recorded the highest employment growth among all the metropolitan areas listed between 2016 and 2021. Except for Greeley, Colorado, the unemployment rates in the rest of the listed cities have decreased during the same period. It is worth noting that many of these metropolitan areas have prominent universities, such as Ames in Iowa, Gainesville in Florida, Hattiesburg in Mississippi, Jackson in Tennessee, and Columbia in Missouri, which have contributed to their economic growth.
- Jackson, TN
2016-2021 pop. growth: +39.6% (+51,272)
2021 population: 180,799
2016 population: 129,527
2016-2021 employment growth: 3.4%
2021 unemployment rate: 3.7%
2016 unemployment rate: 4.8% - Manhattan, KS
2016-2021 pop. growth: +38.1% (+36,928)
2021 population: 133,932
2016 population: 97,004
2016-2021 employment growth: -4.6%
2021 unemployment rate: 2.5%
2016 unemployment rate: 3.4% - Fayetteville, NC
2016-2021 pop. growth: +37.9% (+144,199)
2021 population: 524,588
2016 population: 380,389
2016-2021 employment growth: +0.0%
2021 unemployment rate: 5.5%
2016 unemployment rate: 6.3% - Longview, TX
2016-2021 pop. growth: +32.4% (+70,422)
2021 population: 287,868
2016 population: 217,446
2016-2021 employment growth: -0.0%
2021 unemployment rate: 5.4%
2016 unemployment rate: 6.3% - Ames, IA
2016-2021 pop. growth: +30.0% (+29,105)
2021 population: 126,195
2016 population: 97,090
2016-2021 employment growth: -0.6%
2021 unemployment rate: 2.0%
2016 unemployment rate: 2.2% - Sumter, SC
2016-2021 pop. growth: +26.4% (+28,386)
2021 population: 135,782
2016 population: 107,396
2016-2021 employment growth: -0.7%
2021 unemployment rate: 4.0%
2016 unemployment rate: 5.5% - Morristown, TN
2016-2021 pop. growth: +22.6% (+26,535)
2021 population: 143,855
2016 population: 117,320
2016-2021 employment growth: 5.3%
2021 unemployment rate: 3.8%
2016 unemployment rate: 5.0% - Wausau-Weston, WI
2016-2021 pop. growth: +22.6% (+30,586)
2021 population: 166,189
2016 population: 135,603
2016-2021 employment growth: 1.3%
2021 unemployment rate: 2.2%
2016 unemployment rate: 3.3% - Gainesville, FL
2016-2021 pop. growth: +22.4% (+63,085)
2021 population: 344,881
2016 population: 281,796
2016-2021 employment growth: 7.1%
2021 unemployment rate: 3.6%
2016 unemployment rate: 4.2% - Columbia, MO
2016-2021 pop. growth: +20.5% (+36,202)
2021 population: 212,796
2016 population: 176,594
2016-2021 employment growth: 1.1%
2021 unemployment rate: 2.2%
2016 unemployment rate: 3.0%
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