From Wallet Hub by Richie Bernardo
Some cities have it all: the jobs, the schools, the museums, the nightlife, you name it. They know the recipe for attractiveness. People come, and they stay — sometimes for good. But other cities like Detroit are still mired in recession. Chances of soon turning upward are slim. And their most productive citizens, an economy’s best chance of recovery, search for greener pastures.
In 2013, the United States experienced its lowest population gain since the Great Depression. Growth stood at .72 percent, largely in contrast with the 5 percent of the 1990s, a period of prosperity. Demographer William H. Frey of the Brookings Institution attributed the decline to the economic downturn. Not only did the crisis deter job-seeking migrants from flocking to the U.S., but it also discouraged couples from having children. Meanwhile, movement took place domestically. Population numbers shifted. Some cities grew while others pushed out even more residents.
WalletHub identified the cities that have expanded most rapidly in socio-economic terms between 2008 and 2013. We analyzed 516 U.S. cities of varying sizes across 10 key metrics, ranging from population growth rate to unemployment rate decrease. The full results of the study can be seen here: Wallet Hub – 2014’s Fastest Growing Cities
