A historic suburb north of Austin has been crowned America’s number one boomtown after adding a third more homes and jobs in just five years — with Texas so dominant in the rankings that it nearly swept the entire top five of a nationwide study of 400 cities.
Georgetown, Texas, tops the list compiled by personal finance website SmartAsset, which measured growth across jobs, housing and economic activity in cities with populations of 65,000 or more over the five-year period from 2019 to 2024. Georgetown added 34 per cent more homes during that period while its workforce grew by the same margin — a twin surge that placed it ahead of every other city in the country.
The suburb, which sits around 30 miles north of Austin, has long been prized for its safety, family-friendly atmosphere and popularity with retirees drawn to its historic town square and slower pace of life. But the city is changing rapidly, with a new restaurant scene emerging to meet the demands of its expanding population — with venues such as Haji Moto and Sovian Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge among the new openings energising the local food culture.
Texas came close to monopolising the top five entirely. New Braunfels, another Central Texas city, came in at number two, while Leander landed at number four and Lewisville — a suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth area — rounded out the top five at number five. The only non-Texas entry in the top five was Lehi, Utah, which squeezed in at number three.
The Lone Star State’s dominance of the broader list is equally striking. Texas has 18 cities among the 75 fastest-growing in the United States, according to SmartAsset — second only to Florida, which has one more. Leander recorded a 48 per cent rise in housing over the five-year period alongside a 25 per cent increase in its workforce. Austin itself, often cited as the engine of the region’s growth, ranked 37th, with housing up 17 per cent and its labour force growing six per cent since 2019.
Other Texas cities to feature in the broader rankings included Cedar Park at 28th, Temple at 29th, Round Rock at 43rd and Pflugerville at 60th.
SmartAsset noted that rapid growth brings both opportunity and disruption. “Boomtown status does not mean growth benefits everyone equally, but it does reflect a city’s expanding economic capacity and the new opportunities that come with it,” the report said. “In recent years, some American cities stand out for attracting people, investment and development at a pace that sets them apart.”
