Fastest Growing Cities by State Arizona: Buckeye Number of households: 18,112 Pct. Chg: +10% since 2008 (+261% since 2000) Average household income: $52,927 (–6% since 2000) Why: Buckeye is one of the fastest-growing suburbs in Arizona and has seen a large influx of Asian residents, especially Vietnamese, according to Gadberry. While many new housing units are planned, the price of real estate in Buckeye has dropped nearly 12% since 2008, according to Trulia, and thousands of properties are in the foreclosure process. California: Lincoln Number of households: 21,997 Pct. Chg: +10% since 2008 (+250% since 2000) Average household income: $90,608 (+16% since 2000) Why: Lincoln, a suburban development 30 miles from Sacramento, is the fastest-growing suburb of California and the third fastest-growing town in the U.S. New office buildings, shopping centers, housing developments, and custom home properties have gone up in recent years as a part of the local development plan, according to ZipRealty. Georgia: Braselton Number of households: 13,929 Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+118% since 2000) Average household income: $113,664 (+67% since 2000) Why: Gadberry Group noted Braselton, a suburb of Atlanta, as a remarkable high-growth area due to increases not only in population, but also average income and average household net worth ($532,628). Companies operating here such as Sears Logistics, Tractor Supply, Mitsubishi, and Progressive Lighting have helped to generate jobs. Indiana: Avon Number of households: 11,521 Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+73% since 2000) Average household income: $97,355 (+35% since 2000) Why: Avon has experienced rapid growth since the 1990s due to its convenient location 10 miles from Indianapolis, where health care, social services, and education are the leading industries, according to Simply Hired. Iowa: Urbandale Number of households: 16,402 Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+44% since 2000) Average household income: $93,655 (+12% since 2000) Why: Urbandale, within an hour's drive from Kansas City and Minneapolis, has a lower unemployment rate than the national average. The insurance and finance industries are major employers. North Carolina: Wake Forest Number of households: 17,803 Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+118% since 2000) Average household income: $82,771 (+18% since 2000) Why: Not far from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle, Wake Forest has attracted residents with excellent quality of life, public schools, and health-care resources. Gadberry also notes the high percentage of children and ethnic diversity here. South Carolina: Fort Mill Number of households: 10,474 Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+91% since 2000) Average household income: $72,090(+23% since 2000) Why: Companies such as Continental Tire and music distributor Muzak are located in Fort Mill, near Rock Hill, S.C., and Charlotte, N.C. While many financial companies moved into the area during the housing boom, they have mostly pulled out, reported The Wall Street Journal. Tennessee: Spring Hill Number of households: 11,814 Pct. Chg: +10% since 2008 (+183% since 2000) Average household income: $92,347 (+44% since 2000) Why: Spring Hill saw the fourth-largest increase in number of households on Gadberry's list, driven largely by the jobs created by GM's plant, which manufactured Saturn vehicles until 2008, when it started making the GM Traverse. Texas: Atascocita Number of households: 23,917 Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+108% since 2000) Average household income: $99,272 (+26% since 2000) Why: Atascocita, 18 miles from Houston, boasts golf courses and country clubs. Residents can also boat and fish in nearby Lake Houston, a manmade lake. According to Gadberry, the number of Hispanic households increased by 278% since 2000, making it the largest-growing segment of the population. Utah: South Jordan Number of households: 13,622 Pct. Chg: +9% since 2008 (+82% since 2000) Average household income: $108,300 (+37% since 2000) Why: Development in this city, 10 miles from Salt Lake City, was fueled by the availability of land and large lots, planned communities, and a charming rural atmosphere. The new Daybreak Community development is expected to attract many more residen Texas Grew the Most Texas came out on top of Gadberry's survey, with four high-growth cities: Atascocita, Katy, Mansfield, and Wylie. The report only included areas larger than 10,000 occupied households that met requirements for growth rate, household income, length of residence, and other factors. Larry Martin, principal of the Gadberry Group, says many of the places with the biggest housing growth at the beginning of the last decade, such as Nevada, Florida, and Arizona, also saw the biggest drop-off since the economy sank. Texas, however, enjoyed relatively strong housing and job markets over the last 10 years, thanks in large part to the presence of major employers in the robust energy business. As of December, the state unemployment rate was 8.3% (lower than the national rate of 10%), according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also had the largest state population growth between July 2008 and July 2009, according to a December release by the Census Bureau. "New homes are still being built and people are still moving into these homes" in Texas, says Martin.
