The Fastest-Growing Places in the U.S. in 2024-2025
Posted on: July 30, 2024
As featured in U.S. News, written by Haley Bartel
Where are people moving? One of the best indicators for examining what makes a place highly desirable is whether it’s seeing significant population growth. When calculating the Best Places to Live, U.S. News factors in each city’s growth due to net migration, which is part of the larger desirability score.
Places seeing the most growth attract new residents for many reasons, including a hot job market, affordable housing, a desirable location or some other factor. For the 2024-2025 rankings, we used the U.S. Census Bureau’s net migration data from 2021 to 2022, the most recent complete data set at the time of our calculations.
1. Fort Myers, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 37
Population: 109,595
Median Age: 45
Median Home Price: $273,214
Median Household Income: $71,154
Net Migration: 6.73%
Fort Myers is the fastest-growing of the 150 major cities in this year’s analysis, seeing a population increase of 6.73% between 2021 and 2022 due to net migration. Year-round warmth, uniquely Floridian flora and waterways surround the City of Palms. This coastal city is home to a vibrant downtown and outdoor activities like hiking, paddling, boating, fishing and much more. It also enjoys close proximity to the beautiful sandy beaches of Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach.
