Information about the most populous states in the U.S. changes from month to month, because there is a small difference in numbers between the biggest metropolises at the top; to complement the data, we came up with the 12 Fastest Growing Metropolitan Areas in America in 2015. If you are wondering about the current situation, specifically which cities are the biggest in the U. S. you can find that out here: The 20 Biggest Cities in the United States. This list we bring you today, is not about the most populous states actually, but just about the ones which grow at the fastest rate. That is the reason why areas like Florida and New York are not ranked anywhere in this list, even though they represent the nation’s most populous states.
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Here we will give you some statistics about the growth rate of the population, the job growth rate, and median pay. For those of you who didn’t know, the U.S. metro areas overall were home to about 272.7 million people in 2014, which is an increase of roughly 2.4 million from the previous year. Of course, New York remains the most populous metro area in the States, with the region home to about 20 million people. That’s all you need to know for now, everything else, we’ll tell you about below.
Let’s check out the 12 fastest growing metropolitan areas in America in 2015:
12. Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City stands in 12th place with a projected population growth rate of 1.24%. That is 0.06% more than the rate in 2014. It is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Utah. The unemployment rate circles around 3.38%, which is really low.
11. Seattle, Washington
Even though this is the only city whose population growth rate hasn’t changed from last year, it’s still in the top 12. The rate has stayed at 1.3% but the job growth rate has grown to 3.56% and the median wage is very high, at $72,000.
10. Denver, Colorado
In 10th place we give you the capital of the state of Colorado – Denver. Denver is an amazingly beautiful city, and also the most populous one in Colorado. With an estimated population growth rate of 1.43% this year, and the job growth rate of 2.66% it is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in America in 2015.
9. San Antonio, Texas
The City of San Antonio stands firm in 9th place, and also holds the 9th place of the most populated cities in the United States. Compared to last year, the population growth rate is 0.10% higher, and so it stands now at 1.93% for the year 2015. Although these are good numbers, San Antonio has fallen greatly if compared to its status between 2000 and 2010. Then, it was the leader of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in America.
8. Charlotte, North Carolina
In #8 of the Fastest Growing Metropolitan Areas in America in 2015 lies Charlotte. It is the largest city in the state of North Carolina, and has a population growth rate of 1.98, which is 0.05% more than last year. The job growth rate stands at 3.1%.
7. Raleigh, North Carolina
Charlotte is maybe the largest city in the state of North Carolina, but Raleigh is the capital, as well as the seat of Wake County in the U.S. Raleigh is in 7th place with a projected population growth rate of 2.02% in 2015. This city is ever expanding and attracting more and more people. The “City of Oaks” is the nickname Raleigh got for its many oak trees.
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6. Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the largest urban center of Texas, and a city with a historical importance as a center for oil and cotton industries, as well as railroad lines. That is one of the reasons it’s in #6 with a 2015 population growth rate of 2.04% and almost twice the job growth rate, which stands at 4.1%.
5. Fort Worth, Texas
The 17th largest city in the United States and the fifth-largest city in Texas, has taken the 5th place in today’s list. Fort Worth has a population growth rate of 2.1% projected for the year of 2015, and a job growth rate of 2.64%.
4. Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the largest city and capital of the state of Arizona. It lies in 4th place with an ever growing population at a fast rate, for the past 40 years. Although it slowed down during the Great Recession, the rebound was quick. It is the 13th largest metro area by population at the moment, with the population growth rate standing at 2.13%. The job growth rate is at 2.9%.
3. San Francisco, California
The city of the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge takes the 3rd spot here, with the projected population growth rate increase of 0.95%, which is just a slightly bigger rate than last year. The job growth rate is steady at 3.52% and with that San Francisco could easily overtake the competitors above, growing at 2.38%.
2. Austin, Texas
If looking at metropolitan states, we can say, with certainty, that Texas is the winner, right? Out of the 12 top fastest growing metropolises, three of them are in the state of Texas. Austin is one of them, and also the capital, with a projected population growth of 2.51% for this year. The job growth rate is also great, at 3.14%.
1. Houston, Texas
The most populous city in Texas and the 4th most populous city in the United States, is the leader of our 15 Fastest Growing Metropolitan Areas in America in 2015. It is also the largest city in the Southern United States, with the world’s largest concentration of research institutions. The population growth rate for this year has dropped compared to 2014, but 2.74% is still enough to push Houston to the 1st spot. An amazing job growth rate, which stands at 4.5% is an additional winning factor. If you’re looking for a growing community, places from our list will definitely suit your needs. Share the list with your friends!
