According to Forbes, out of the 10 fastest-growing metro areas in the country, only two of them are located outside of the South (Denver and Las Vegas). Others, such as Austin, Orlando, Raleigh, San Antonio, Nashville, and Jacksonville are all located in the region where “Ya’ll” is a common part of the vernacular.
Many of these new citizens of the South are migrating from the cities of old, primarily in the Midwest and Northeast, namely Chicago, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Hartford, Cleveland, and Buffalo. Many of the southern cities that are growing the fastest are also seeing the largest net gains.
If international migration is added into the mix with domestic migration, the top five metros in terms of population gained are still all in the Sun Belt and are led by Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth.
A big factor that is likely to keep the sun shining on the Sun Belt’s growth is the migration of Millennials. Millennials are moving to Sun Belt cities and suburbs at a seemingly ever-increasing rate. Better job opportunities and a lower cost of living are major factors that are drawing these often debt-riddled recent graduates to the South.
So, while it may seem as though every story or article you read is about how major urban centers are sucking in suburbanites like giant black holes, the numbers tell a different story, one that builders, developers, and planners are going to need to pay attention to if they want to keep up with the demand and growth of areas that are actually gaining the most residents.
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