With a jobless rate of 3.7% as of August, Austin came in 17th on a ranking by the personal-finance website SmartAsset of the 50 fastest-growing cities in the nation.
The analysis examined the most recent available data to determine which of the 500 largest cities in the nation were the top boomtowns, based on seven categories. Those categories consist of population growth, the jobless rate, gross domestic product (GDP) growth, business growth, homebuilding activities and changes in household incomes.
Austin recorded an 8% increase in population over the past five years, average annual GDP growth of 4.7%, a 16.4% rise in the number of businesses in the last five years and a 12.8% five-year housing growth rate.
Just under half of the 500 largest cities have returned to full employment after the COVID-19 economic downturn, SmartAsset reported, noting that a 4% to 5% jobless rate is considered full employment.
Six of the top 10 boomtowns are located in the Northwest states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. A total of five Texas cities made the list, with Conroe tying for the third fastest-growing city.
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Top-50 Fastest-growing American Cities
| Rank | City | 5-year Population Change | Average Yearly GDP Growth | 5-year Change in Number of Businesses | 5-year Housing Growth Rate | August 2021 Jobless Rate | Index Score |
| 1 | Murfreesboro, Tenn. | 19.62% | 3.71% | 15.95% | 21.15% | 3.4% | 100.00 |
| 2 | Nampa, Idaho | 15.20% | 6.27% | 28.53% | 13.82% | 3.0% | 99.54 |
| 3 (tie) | Meridian, Idaho | 31.40% | 5.50% | 18.24% | 27.52% | 2.5% | 97.56 |
| 3 (tie) | Conroe, Texas | 26.03% | 8.67% | 20.36% | 39.69% | 5.5% | 97.56 |
| 5 | Mount Pleasant, S.C. | 13.53% | 3.30% | 16.50% | 16.65% | 3.8% | 95.45 |
| 6 | Bend, Ore. | 18.00% | 5.35% | 22.51% | 20.47% | 4.4% | 93.78 |
| 7 | Tempe, Ariz. | 11.88% | 3.77% | 11.96% | 17.34% | 4.7% | 92.34 |
| 8 | Vancouver, Wash. | 5.45% | 6.06% | 16.36% | 11.80% | 4.8% | 92.12 |
| 9 | Bellingham, Wash. | 9.95% | 8.25% | 8.90% | 10.87% | 5.2% | 91.67 |
| 10 | Seattle, Wash. | 11.84% | 7.02% | 8.12% | 14.64% | 4.8% | 91.60 |
| 11 | North Charleston, S.C. | 9.06% | 3.30% | 16.50% | 16.34% | 3.8% | 91.58 |
| 12 | Rock Hill, S.C. | 7.12% | 4.50% | 16.36% | 14.99% | 3.8% | 90.88 |
| 13 | Henderson, Nev. | 16.60% | 3.78% | 12.86% | 11.25% | 8.2% | 89.99 |
| 14 (tie) | Concord, N.C. | 12.60% | 2.55% | 13.33% | 16.72% | 4.0% | 89.82 |
| 14 (tie) | New Braunfels, Texas | 36.03% | 3.42% | 26.29% | 54.36% | 4.3% | 89.82 |
| 16 | Longmont, Colo. | 5.75% | 7.09% | 17.12% | 22.73% | 5.6% | 89.62 |
| 17 | Austin, Texas | 8.03% | 4.73% | 16.40% | 12.80% | 3.7% | 89.51 |
| 18 | Indio, Calif. | 6.26% | 3.30% | 14.08% | 21.46% | 7.6% | 89.40 |
| 19 | St. George, Utah | 15.98% | 6.19% | 28.33% | 4.50% | 2.7% | 89.23 |
| 20 | Sandy Springs, Ga. | 4.83% | 4.10% | 9.44% | 15.80% | 3.7% | 88.40 |
| 21 | Boynton Beach, Fla. | 8.20% | 3.48% | 10.23% | 8.46% | 4.7% | 87.92 |
| 22 | Tacoma, Wash. | 6.25% | 4.28% | 11.92% | 7.16% | 5.3% | 87.23 |
| 23 (tie) | Denver, Colo. | 7.64% | 3.89% | 12.93% | 13.20% | 5.9% | 87.10 |
| 23 (tie) | Johns Creek, Ga. | 2.60% | 4.10% | 9.44% | 8.39% | 3.7% | 87.10 |
| 25 (tie) | Charleston, S.C. | 5.37% | 3.70% | 23.44% | 11.32% | 3.9% | 86.97 |
| 25 (tie) | Round Rock, Texas | 18.53% | 5.66% | 29.09% | 23.15% | 3.8% | 86.97 |
| 27 | Fort Myers, Fla. | 23.87% | 3.08% | 15.92% | 15.25% | 4.6% | 86.53 |
| 28 | Boise, Idaho | 3.94% | 5.50% | 18.24% | 12.97% | 2.5% | 86.25 |
| 29 | Salt Lake City, Utah | 6.17% | 4.11% | 9.08% | 9.68% | 2.6% | 86.16 |
| 30 | Franklin, Tenn. | 17.44% | 2.43% | 18.16% | 26.48% | 2.6% | 85.51 |
| 31 (tie) | Orem, Utah | 5.36% | 4.58% | 26.01% | 15.55% | 2.3% | 85.47 |
| 31 (tie) | Spokane Valley, Wash. | 9.19% | 5.23% | 8.63% | 11.34% | 4.5% | 85.47 |
| 33 | Roseville, Calif. | 10.93% | 3.77% | 14.16% | 12.10% | 5.1% | 85.12 |
| 34 | Menifee, Calif. | 12.84% | 3.30% | 14.08% | 10.48% | 7.6% | 85.01 |
| 35 | Durham, N.C. | 10.09% | 3.25% | 10.66% | 8.59% | 3.7% | 84.55 |
| 36 | Denton, Texas | 12.41% | 3.42% | 23.15% | 5.13% | 4.1% | 83.90 |
| 37 | Orlando, Fla. | 6.90% | 4.84% | 8.75% | 8.74% | 4.3% | 83.64 |
| 38 | Fort Collins, Colo. | 4.52% | 4.99% | 12.01% | 21.29% | 4.7% | 83.62 |
| 39 | McKinney, Texas | 27.24% | 5.17% | 24.01% | 30.85% | 4.0% | 83.57 |
| 40 | Greeley, Colo. | 6.29% | 7.09% | 17.12% | 14.48% | 5.6% | 82.88 |
| 41 | Port St. Lucie, Fla. | 17.95% | 2.88% | 19.54% | 5.65% | 5.3% | 82.46 |
| 42 | Mesa, Ariz. | 9.64% | 3.77% | 11.96% | 6.23% | 4.7% | 82.38 |
| 43 | Raleigh, N.C. | 5.46% | 4.62% | 13.12% | 6.77% | 3.7% | 82.20 |
| 44 | Portland, Ore. | 3.93% | 3.80% | 7.41% | 10.46% | 4.7% | 82.18 |
| 45 | Santa Clara, Calif. | 6.40% | 6.44% | 4.29% | 9.06% | 4.8% | 82.03 |
| 46 | Cary, N.C. | 8.60% | 4.62% | 13.12% | 20.47% | 3.7% | 81.64 |
| 47 | Tampa, Fla. | 9.65% | 3.44% | 12.71% | 8.00% | 4.4% | 81.51 |
| 48 | Lakeland, Fla. | 11.28% | 4.15% | 10.34% | 7.23% | 5.6% | 81.20 |
| 49 | Reno, Nev. | 8.87% | 1.35% | 11.30% | 12.30% | 4.2% | 80.92 |
| 50 | West Jordan, Utah | 4.65% | 4.11% | 9.08% | 10.77% | 2.6% | 80.68 |