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WalletHub study: Fastest-growing cities in the U.S.

With economic growth expected to slow in the short term after a devastating hurricane season, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2017’s Fastest-Growing Cities in America.

To determine where the most rapid local economic growth occurred over a period of seven years, WalletHub’s analysts compared 515 U.S. cities across 15 key metrics. The data set ranges from population growth to college-educated population growth to unemployment rate decrease. In addition, we produced a separate ranking by city size.
 

  Fastest-Growing Cities in America   Slowest-Growing Cities in America
  1 Frisco, TX   506 Waterbury, CT
  2 Kent, WA   507 Racine, WI
  3 Lehigh Acres, FL   508 Fort Smith, AK
  4 Meridian, ID   509 Davenport, IA
  5 Midland, TX   510 Baton Rouge, LA
  6 McKinney, TX   511 Montgomery, AL
  7 Fort Myers, FL   512 Decatur, IL
  8 Bend, OR   513 Fayetteville, NC
  9 Austin, TX   514 Jacksonville, NC
  10 Pleasanton, CA   515 Shreveport, LA


Key Stats

  • Kent, Washington, experienced the highest population growth, at 5.96 percent. Conversely, Gary, Indiana experienced the highest population decrease, at 1.30 percent.
  • San Marcos, California, experienced the highest household income increase, at 9.81 percent. Conversely, Trenton, New Jersey, experienced the highest household income decrease, at 2.35 percent.
  • Frisco, Texas, experienced the highest job growth, at 5.83 percent. Conversely, Shreveport, Louisiana, experienced the highest jobs decrease, at 1.16 percent.
  • Fort Myers, Florida, experienced the highest decrease in poverty rate, at 2.92 percent. Conversely, Shreveport, Louisiana, experienced the highest increase in poverty rate, at 1.55 percent.
  • Midland, Texas, experienced the highest growth in real GDP per capita, at 7.68 percent. Conversely, Lafayette, Louisiana, experienced the highest decrease in real GDP per capita, at 4.52 percent.


To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit WalletHub.