5 Fastest Growing, Shrinking Cities in US

The US population grew by 16.4 million people between 2010 and 2017, but that 5.3% increase wasn't reflected in many US cities. While the fastest-growing cities—generally marked by higher incomes and lower personal income tax rates than the national average—saw populations balloon by more than 20% in the same period, others shrunk as they were forced to bid adieu to residents seeking jobs elsewhere. The Villages in Florida saw the most robust growth, while Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was at the opposite end of the spectrum. The five fastest growing and shrinking cities between 2010 and 2017 among 382 metro areas, according to 24/7 Wall St.:

Fastest growing:

1. The Villages, Fla.: +32.8%
2. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC: +22.6%
3. Austin-Round Rock, Texas: +22.5%
4. Midland, Texas: +20.4%
5. Greeley, Colo: +19.8%

Fastest shrinking:

1. Pine Bluff, Ark.: -9.1%
2. Johnstown, Pa.: -7.2%
3. Charleston, W. Va.: -5.5%
4. Sierra Vista-Douglas, Ariz.: -5.2%
5. Beckley, W. Va.: -5.1%

Click for the full rankings or see which cities are best when launching a business. (More population growth stories.)