Southern cities, including Nashville, are among the nation's fastest-growing boomtowns, according to a new LendingTreestudy.
The analysis from the financial services company found that eight of the 10 highest-ranked
metros for population growth, housing development and new business activity are located in the South.
Seattle and Phoenix were the only non-Southern metros to crack the top 10.
Austin, Texas, claimed the top spot for the third consecutive year.
According to LendingTree, the metro led the nation in housing unit growth at 3.4% and recorded the largest increase in new business applications, which rose by 11.3%. Austin also ranked third for the share of residents moving in from another county, state or country at 17.5% and fifth for overall population growth at 3.1%.
LendingTree Chief Consumer Finance Analyst Matt Schulz said several factors have fueled the rapid growth of Southern metros.
“A lot of people and businesses have been heading South over the past several years, and that’s created a lot of momentum,” wrote Schulz in a statement. “In many places, you can still find a lower cost of living, a growing population and a business climate that’s attractive to employers."
"Those are all things that make it easier to start and grow a business," he added. Here's what else to know.
Why the South, including Tennessee, leads the nation in growth and investment
The South has long been known for its business-friendly environment and relatively affordable cost of living compared with major metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles, helping attract new residents and companies.
In 2025, In-N-Out Burger CEOLynsi Snyder announced she was moving her family to Tennesseeas the company expands its presence in the state. Snyder said part of the decision was driven by the challenges of doing business and raising a family in California, noting that homeownership opportunities are generally more attainable for employees in Tennessee.
Earlier this year, Buc-ee's CEO Arch Aplin III said theTexas-based company looks for business-friendly, politically conservative stateswhen evaluating new locations.
Tennessee is already home to two Buc-ee's travel centers — with additional stores in the works— and while the company has expanded beyond its traditional Southern footprint into other parts of the country, the travel center chain remains most heavily concentrated in the South.
Aplin's business strategy aligns with one often promoted by Tennessee leaders.
Gov. Bill Lee regularly highlights Tennessee's low-tax, business-friendly environment as a competitive advantage in attracting new companies, corporate investments and jobs to the state.
The influx has been so significant that Nashville recently ranked No. 6 among U.S. cities for net gains in corporate headquarters from interstate and international relocations in 2025.
Since 2018, Middle Tennessee has attracted a series of major corporate relocations and expansions, including AllianceBernstein, Amazon, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Oracle, In-N-Out Burger and Starbucks, The Tennessean previously reported.
Eight of the 10 top boomtowns in the U.S. are in the South
- Austin, Texas
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Seattle, Washington
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Tampa, Florida
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Orlando, Florida
- Houston Texas
- Nashville, Tennessee
Methodology
LendingTree analyzed the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas using eight metrics across three categories: population and housing growth, workforce and earnings trends, and business and economic activity.
Metrics included population growth, in-migration, housing construction, labor force growth, unemployment, earnings growth, GDP growth and new business applications.
Scores from each category were weighted equally to determine each metro's overall boomtown ranking.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: America's fastest-growing boomtowns are mostly in the South, new ranking shows
