If you’re looking to buy a home, you may want to steer clear of cities where buyers seem to be leaving in short order. When there’s a mass exodus from a given area, it could be due to a variety of factors, from high unemployment to poor educational opportunities and healthcare services. But either way, a shrinking population is a definite red flag.
But a rapidly growing population isn’t necessarily a good thing, either. In fact, it pays to be aware of the cities that have seen a huge uptick in recent years — and potentially steer clear of them.
10 cities that have seen their population grow immensely since 2010
Exploding Topics analyzed population data between 2010 and 2024 to see which cities/metro areas have had the largest amount of growth. It found that these 10 in particular saw a huge uptick in population:
- Austin, Texas
- Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina
- Orlando, Florida
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Houston, Texas
- Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida
- San Antonio, Texas
- Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Nashville, Tennessee
One common theme is that all of these cities are in areas with warmer climates. Could Americans be growing weary of brutal winters? Maybe. But it’s also easy to see other appealing features of some of these cities.
Austin, for example, has evolved into a huge tech hub in recent years. And while it’s not an inexpensive city to call home, the cost of housing is far below what it takes to live in Silicon Valley. And Florida may be an appealing place to move to for many people because it doesn’t impose a state income tax.
But while you may be eager to move to a city that’s clearly desirable, there can be some serious drawbacks involved.
Why it pays to steer clear of overcrowded cities
The first problem with moving to an overcrowded city is that you might struggle to afford a home there. When there’s high demand, it tends to lead to higher home prices. At a time when it’s become so expensive to sign a mortgage, pursuing a city like the ones on the above list could mean overpaying for housing and struggling as a result.
Overcrowding can also put a strain on local resources, making daily life less pleasant. Do you want to have to wait in a 20-minute line to check out books at the library? If that doesn’t sound like fun, then you may not want to move to a rapidly growing city.
Similarly, if you have children and prefer that they not learn in overcrowded classrooms, then you may want to stick to an area whose population isn’t expanding at such a quick pace.
Furthermore, when loads of people flock to the same area in short order, it can lead to an uptick in housing demand. That could, in turn, cause local property values to soar even after you’ve purchased your home. That’s a good thing when you’re about to sell a home. But it’s not necessarily a good thing when you want to live in a home and stay put because it could lead to higher property taxes that put a strain on your budget.
Buying a home is a big commitment so it’s important to make sure you’ll be happy where you land. You may find that it’s worth it to move to one of the above cities despite a recent surge in population. But also consider the drawbacks of living in an overcrowded area before moving forward.
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