Raleigh tops list of Boom towns!

Top 10 real estate boomtowns: 2020

U.S. population projected to jump 8.9% in next decade

By Andrea V. Brambila, Wednesday, June 15, 2011.

Inman NewsTM

The U.S. population will rise 8.9 percent between 2010 and 2020 to 337.1 million, according to projections from data analysis firm ProximityOne.  The firm's estimates take into account results from the 2010 census as well as historical birth, death, migration and economic data.   According to the 2010 census, the nation's inhabitants grew to 308.7 million between 2000 and 2010, a 9.7 percent increase. 

The 10 metro areas expected to see the biggest jumps in population between 2010 and 2020 are mostly in states that experienced increases of between 15 percent and 25 percent in the last decade: North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Georgia, Idaho and Colorado.

Rank

Metro area

Pop. 2010

Pop. 2020 (projected)

% change

1

Raleigh-Cary, N.C.

1,140,057

1,546,556

35.7%

2

Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, Wash.

255,485

345,779

35.3%

3

Austin-Round Rock, Texas

1,729,845

2,302,813

33.1%

4

Provo-Orem, Utah

530,931

700,234

31.9%

5

Hinesville-Fort Stewart, Ga.

78,595

102,769

30.8%

6

Logan, Utah-Idaho

126,348

163,550

29.4%

7

Grand Junction, Colo.

147,759

190,114

28.7%

8

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas

779,858

992,706

27.3%

9

Idaho Falls, Idaho

131,198

166,378

26.8%

10

Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C.-S.C.

1,769,001

2,236,368

26.4%

Source: ProximityOne 

At the top, the Raleigh-Cary, N.C., metro area is expected to see a 35.7 percent rise in population by 2020, after a 41.8 percent rise between 2000-10. The area's economy is buoyed by a relatively young population attracted to the area's universities and research facilities.

"Raleigh (has) always been a hot spot for growth and relocation. It doesn't surprise me that we are slated for tremendous growth," said Sheri Moritz, broker at Keller Williams Preferred Realty in Raleigh.

"We have many great (businesses) in the area producing jobs that will eventually relocate people to the area."