America's Fastest-Growing Cities
Texas once again dominates Forbes' list of America's Fastest-Growing Cities, as the Lone Star State capitalized on low taxes and cheap real estate to draw in jobs from the rest of the country. To construct this list, we pulled data from Moody's Analytics on the 100 largest metropolitan areas, giving extra weight to projected economic growth and subtracting points for low median incomes and high unemployment rates. The result is a list of cities that aren't just growing, but creating opportunities.
1. Austin, Texas
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 6.1%
Population growth rate: 2.8%
Current MSA population: 1.8 million
Median income: $56,613
2. Dallas
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 5%
Population growth: 2.2%
Current population: 6.23 million
Median income: $55,526
3. San Jose, CA
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 4.7%
Population growth: 0.9%
Current population: 1.88 million
Median income: $83,551
4. Houston
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 6.1%
Population growth: 2%
Current population: 6.23 million
Median income: $55,297
5. Salt Lake City
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 4.4%
Population growth: 1.5%
Current population: 1.16 million
Median income: $65,405
6. Raleigh NC
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 3.7%
Population growth: 3.8%
Current population: 1.21 million
Median income: $58,023
7. Seattle
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 3.7%
Population growth: 1.2%
Current population: 3.54 million
Median income: $65,405
8. San Francisco
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 3%
Population growth: 0.9%
Current population: 4.4 million
Median income: $76,405
9. San Antonio
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 3.7%
Population growth: 2.1%
Current population: 2.25 million
Median income: $47,864
10. Atlanta
Projected economic growth rate, 2011-2016: 3.5%
Population growth: 1.7%
Current population: 5.4 million
Median income: $55,068
