Sun Belt cities under 30,000 population with momentum 65+. Where the in-migration is going beyond the big metros.
The Sun Belt growth story is partly known for big cities (Austin, Tampa, Charlotte) but increasingly happening in their smaller satellites and the next tier of Southern small towns.
These are the small Sun Belt cities that are quietly compounding — not headlines yet, but the trend lines are visible.
1Imperial, CAEl Centro · pop 22,10284Hot$440,992median home845-yr 2Port Royal, SCHilton Head Island-Bluffton · pop 16,50784Hot$355,796median home845-yr 3Progreso, TXMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 5,18284Hot$126,209median home845-yr 4Cave Springs, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 6,30482Hot$569,608median home825-yr 5Tahlequah, OKTahlequah · pop 17,31981Hot$197,136median home815-yr 7Prairie Grove, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 8,58981Hot$318,397median home815-yr 8Cornelia, GACornelia · pop 5,37181Hot$304,133median home815-yr 9Madison, GAAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta · pop 5,13181Hot$444,207median home815-yr 12Chickasha, OKOklahoma City · pop 17,01479Hot$157,792median home795-yr 13Manchester, TNTullahoma-Manchester · pop 13,48479Hot$326,004median home795-yr 14Lewisburg, TNLewisburg · pop 13,47379Hot$296,879median home795-yr 15Farmington, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 10,47379Hot$333,785median home795-yr 16Clinton, TNKnoxville · pop 10,45879Hot$333,030median home795-yr 17Oak Island, NCMyrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach · pop 9,32279Hot$572,756median home795-yr 19Tuttle, OKOklahoma City · pop 8,58479Hot$327,295median home795-yr 20Wagoner, OKTulsa · pop 8,38779Hot$186,644median home795-yr 22Church Hill, TNKingsport-Bristol · pop 7,31079Hot$261,279median home795-yr 23Dunlap, TNChattanooga · pop 5,96079Hot$271,332median home795-yr 24Lafayette, TNNashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin · pop 5,91979Hot$269,076median home795-yr 25Sheridan, ARLittle Rock-North Little Rock-Conway · pop 5,31579Hot$219,583median home795-yr 27Perry, GAWarner Robins · pop 24,79278Hot$274,064median home785-yr 28Graham, NCBurlington · pop 19,31178Hot$295,264median home785-yr 29Nolensville, TNNashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin · pop 15,80978Hot$835,457median home785-yr 30Weddington, NCCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia · pop 14,39178Hot$1,074,184median home785-yr Sources: Zillow ZHVI, Zillow ZORI, US Census place population.