“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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
12. Naples, Florida
- Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 1
- Population: 122,578
- Median Age: 53
- Median Home Price: $577,796
- Median Household Income: $98,120
- Net Migration: 3.63%
- Cost of Living: N/A, but according to BestPlaces, the recommended annual minimum income for a single person in Naples is $62,000
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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