“Where is the best place to live?” It’s an age-old question with an ever-evolving answer. Our values as consumers are always shifting, and in an increasingly digital age where working remotely isn’t uncommon, we don’t necessarily equate where we live with where we make our money.
One aspect to consider when considering the best place to live is the speed at which these cities are growing. A growing city is a healthy one and is appealing to folks for a few reasons, including a robust job market and affordable housing.
U.S. News & World Report recently published a study that determined the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. in 2024 and 2025. To do this, they analyzed 150 metros and used the U.S. Census Bureau’s net migration data from 2021 to 2022 to narrow in on the 25 that have grown the most during this period.
GOBankingRates then used data from PayScale to find out the cost of living in these cities, as compared to the national average. For the cost of living in Lakeland, Florida, GOBankingRates used data from the Economic Research Institute, and for York, Pennsylvania, and Ocala, Florida, we used data from RentCafe. The only city for which we did not find cost of living measurements was Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Here are our fastest-growing cities and the cost of living for each.
Check Out: Cutting Expenses for Retirement? Here’s the No. 1 Thing To Get Rid Of First
Read Next: 7 Reasons You Should Consider a Financial Advisor Before Making a Big Investment
miroslav_1 / iStock.com
25. Phoenix Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 67 Population: 1,609,590 Median Age: 36 Median Home Price: $341,740 Median Household Income: $81,277 Net Migration: 2.83% Cost of Living: 4% higher than the national average Learn More: 8 States To Move to If You Don’t Want To Pay Taxes on Social Security
For You: 7 Reasons You Should Consider a Financial Advisor To Boost Your Savings
Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week.
felixmizioznikov / Getty Images
24. Miami Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 123 Population: 461,672 Median Age: 41 Median Home Price: $448,531 Median Household Income: $64,587 Net Migration: 2.84% Cost of Living: 21% higher than the national average Try This: I’m an Economist: Here’s My Prediction for Social Security if Trump Wins the 2024 Election
Charles Knowles / Shutterstock.com
23. Boise, Idaho Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 2 Population: 277,498 Median Age: 39 Median Home Price: $422,080 Median Household Income: $85,886 Net Migration: 2.86% Cost of Living: 8% higher than the national average georgeclerk / Getty Images 22. Denver Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 40 Population: 755,412 Median Age: 37 Median Home Price: $565,720 Median Household Income: $97,799 Net Migration: 2.87% Cost of Living: 11% higher than the national average
traveler1116 / Getty Images 21. Charleston, South Carolina Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 13 Population: 175,795 Median Age: 39 Median Home Price: $510,515 Median Household Income: $92,032 Net Migration: 2.95% Cost of Living: 2% lower than the national average Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
20. Oklahoma City Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 16 Population: 681,446 Median Age: 36 Median Home Price: $199,303 Median Household Income: $74,604 Net Migration: 3.06% Cost of Living: 16% lower than the national average Trending Now: 3 Reasons You Should Not Buy a House When You Retire
benedek / Getty Images/iStockphoto 19. Austin, Texas Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 9 Population: 1,002,397 Median Age: 36 Median Home Price: $487,981 Median Household Income: $98,483 Net Migration: 3.11% Cost of Living: 1% higher than the national average Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 18. Lakeland, Florida Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 80 Population: 163,774 Median Age: 41 Median Home Price: $204,765 Median Household Income: $65,531 Net Migration: 3.19% Cost of Living: 10% lower than the national average traveler1116 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 17. York, Pennsylvania Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 137 Population: $48,333 Median Age: 37 Median Home Price : $106,688 Median Household Income: $47,487 Net Migration: 3.34% Cost of Living: 1% higher than the national average Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images/iStockphoto 16. Huntsville, Alabama Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 7 Population: 237,887 Median Age: 40 Median Home Price: $245,381 Median Household Income: $83,856 Net Migration: 3.35% Cost of Living: 8% lower than the national average Be Aware: I’m a Retirement Planner: What Social Security Could Look Like in a Decade If Kamala Harris Wins in November
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 15. Brownsville, Texas Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 87 Population: 201,134 Median Age: 32 Median Home Price: $112,823 Median Household Income: $53,014 Net Migration: 3.49% Cost of Living: 15% lower than the national average DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 14. Fayetteville, Arkansas Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 21 Population: 113,010 Median Age: 33 Median Home Price: $281,646 Median Household Income: $70,165 Net Migration: 3.54% Cost of Living: 9% lower than the national average ferrantraite / Getty Images/iStockphoto 13. Tampa, Florida Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 35 Population: 515,872 Median Age: 37 Median Home Price: $358,489 Median Household Income: $81,303 Net Migration: 3.58% Cost of Living: On par with the national average benedek / Getty Images/iStockphoto 12. Naples, Florida Explore More: 5 Reasons Retirees Regret Selling Their Homes in Retirement
Craig McCausland / iStock.com 11. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 51 Population: 54,075 Median Age: 46 Median Home Price: $289,054 Median Household Income: $57,807 Net Migration: 3.75% Cost of Living: 8% lower than the national average Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 10. Sarasota, Florida Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 11 Population: 82,472 Median Age: 52 Median Home Price: $430,652 Median Household Income: $80,922 Net Migration: 3.96% Cost of Living: 6% higher than the national average Kruck20 / iStock.com 9. Orlando, Florida Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 68 Population: 413,687 Median Age: 36 Median Home Price: $312,171 Median Household Income: $75,028 Net Migration: 3.98% Cost of Living: 5% higher than the national average photoquest7 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 8. Reno, Nevada Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 47 Population: 291,754 Median Age: 40 Median Home Price: $466,620 Median Household Income: $89,396 Net Migration: 4.16% Cost of Living: 5% higher than the national average Find Out: Here Are All the Promises Trump Has Made About Social Security If He’s Reelected
graphiknation / Getty Images/iStockphoto 7. Baton Rouge, Louisiana Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 125 Population: 240,582 Median Age: 35 Median Home Price: $216,598 Median Household Income: $56,484 Net Migration: 4.6% Cost of Living: 3% lower than the national average Michael Warren / Getty Images/iStockphoto 6. Ocala, Florida Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 78 Population: 134,974 Median Age: 47 Median Home Price: $214,282 Median Household Income: $60,352 Net Migration: 4.7% Cost of Living: 7% lower than the national average Michael Warren / Getty Images 5. Tallahassee, Florida Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 75 Population: 239,292 Median Age: 35 Median Home Price: $236,847 Median Household Income: $69,655 Net Migration: 4.75% Cost of Living: 4% lower than the national average ©Shutterstock.com 4. Daytona Beach, Florida Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 96 Population: 83,623 Median Age: 43 Median Home Price: $199,838 Median Household Income: $52,973 Net Migration: 4.92% Cost of Living: 3% lower than the national average Read More: I’m an Economist: Here’s My Prediction for Social Security If Kamala Harris Wins the Election
Anthony M. Inswasty / iStock.com 3. Port St. Lucie, Florida Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 83 Population: 220,637 Median Age: 46 Median Home Price: $293,943 Median Household Income: $75,874 Net Migration: 4.93% Cost of Living: N/A Giorgia Basso / Shutterstock.com 2. Killeen, Texas Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 107 Population: 167,318 Median Age: 31 Median Home Price: $161,449 Median Household Income: $63,862 Net Migration: 6.57% Cost of Living: 7% lower than the national average Steve Helber / AP / Shutterstock.com 1. Fort Myers, Florida Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 37 Population: 109,595 Median Age: 45 Median Home Price: $273,214 Median Household Income: $71,154 Net Migration: 6.73% Cost of Living: 9% higher than the national average
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : The 25 Fastest-Growing Cities in the US in 2024 and 2025 — and How Much It Costs To Live in Each
Most Popular
Comments / 0