A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
An analysis from GoodMigrations reveals which U.S. cities have changed the most in the last five years. The criteria include “population, income, jobs, home values, and new jobs created from new businesses over the past five years.”
The top five most changed cities are Boise City, Idaho; Provo, Utah; Lakeland, Florida; Austin, Texas; and Huntsville, Alabama. According to the article, “All the most-changed cities saw change in the form of rapid growth: increasing economic activity, elevating salaries, and gaining newcomers.” Austin had the highest population increase among cities with the strongest GDP, and added 25 percent more employed persons.
Eight of the top 10 cities were in the U.S. South. Four of the 10 least changed cities, meanwhile, are in Louisiana. “This seeming contradiction suggests that growth and prosperity in the South are not equally distributed, with some metros reaping the lion’s share of jobs, newcomers, and overall prosperity, leaving other cities in the region to stagnate at disproportionately high rates.”
FULL STORY: America’s Most Changed Cities: The Cities That Changed the Most in 5 Years
Texas, Florida Saw Most Growth in 2021, Says U-Haul
Based on an index comparing inbound and outbound moving truck rentals, Texas had the largest population growth in the United States in 2021, while California and Illinois saw the biggest losses.
Rural Population Grew Again in 2024
Americans continued to move to smaller towns and cities, resulting in a fourth straight year of growth in rural areas.
Small Towns Grow Faster Than Cities for First Time in Decades
Cities of 4 million or more people lost 600,000 residents to domestic migration.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.
Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.
Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.
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