Top 25 Fastest-Growing US Cities in 2026

The Data Behind America's Fastest-Growing Cities

Every quarter, we analyze population estimates, building permits, employment data, and migration patterns from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Housing and Urban Development to identify which American cities are growing fastest.

Our composite BoomTown Score weighs four key indicators: population growth (30%), building permit activity (25%), employment growth (25%), and net migration (20%). Here are the top 25 cities for 2026.

Top 25 Fastest-Growing Cities

The current top 5 fastest-growing cities by BoomTown Score are: Salt Lake City, UT; West Valley City, UT; Hialeah, FL; West Jordan, UT; Sandy, UT. These cities consistently rank high across all four growth indicators, suggesting sustainable momentum rather than a single-factor spike.

1. Salt Lake City, UT - BoomScore: 68

Salt Lake City leads with a BoomTown Score of 68/100. Population growth of 3.8% year-over-year, combined with strong permit activity and job creation, makes this city one to watch closely. View full Salt Lake City data.

2. West Valley City, UT - BoomScore: 66

West Valley City leads with a BoomTown Score of 66/100. Population growth of 3.14% year-over-year, combined with strong permit activity and job creation, makes this city one to watch closely. View full West Valley City data.

3. Hialeah, FL - BoomScore: 65

Hialeah leads with a BoomTown Score of 65/100. Population growth of 3.42% year-over-year, combined with strong permit activity and job creation, makes this city one to watch closely. View full Hialeah data.

4. West Jordan, UT - BoomScore: 65

West Jordan leads with a BoomTown Score of 65/100. Population growth of 2.73% year-over-year, combined with strong permit activity and job creation, makes this city one to watch closely. View full West Jordan data.

5. Sandy, UT - BoomScore: 65

Sandy leads with a BoomTown Score of 65/100. Population growth of 2.12% year-over-year, combined with strong permit activity and job creation, makes this city one to watch closely. View full Sandy data.

What's Driving Growth in 2026?

Three macro trends continue to shape city growth: remote work enabling geographic flexibility, Sun Belt migration for cost-of-living advantages, and infrastructure investment creating job hubs in secondary cities. The data shows these aren't temporary shifts - they're structural changes reshaping American geography.

Methodology

Our BoomTown Score is calculated from four government data sources, normalized and weighted to produce a 0-100 composite score. Learn more about our methodology.