Home·Best of·Best Sun Belt cities with positive momentum Cities in the Sun Belt states (FL, TX, AZ, NV, GA, NC, SC, TN, AL, AR, OK, LA, NM, CA, MS) showing 50+ composite momentum.
The Sun Belt has been the dominant US growth story for a decade — population, jobs, and home prices all moving north. The names on this list are the cities still riding the trend.
Note: large Sun Belt metros (Phoenix, Las Vegas, Austin, parts of Florida) have given back some 2021-2022 gains. The momentum score reflects current direction, not the size of the long-run gain.
1Bentonville, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 61,79182Hot$487,573median home+3.3%pop CAGR 2Morristown, TNMorristown · pop 32,99480Hot$268,046median home+2.0%pop CAGR 3Auburn, ALAuburn-Opelika · pop 83,75778Hot$417,207median home+2.4%pop CAGR 4Newport Beach, CALos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · pop 82,97078Hot$3,709,420median home-0.7%pop CAGR 5Rogers, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 75,63978Hot$385,816median home+2.0%pop CAGR 6San Luis, AZYuma · pop 40,06478Hot$237,938median home+3.2%pop CAGR 7University Park, TXDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington · pop 25,26878Hot$2,461,469median home-0.0%pop CAGR 8Fayetteville, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 103,13477Rising$380,101median home+2.4%pop CAGR 9Oak Ridge, TNKnoxville · pop 34,03977Rising$325,760median home+2.0%pop CAGR 10Bella Vista, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 33,27477Rising$358,353median home+2.5%pop CAGR 11Sanford, NCSanford · pop 32,97177Rising$291,935median home+2.2%pop CAGR 12Oxford, MSOxford · pop 26,80177Rising$414,121median home+1.3%pop CAGR 13Greenville, NCGreenville · pop 95,13876Rising$235,708median home+2.1%pop CAGR 14Socorro, TXEl Paso · pop 38,64276Rising$207,975median home+3.0%pop CAGR 15Opelika, ALAuburn-Opelika · pop 35,00576Rising$307,984median home+3.1%pop CAGR 16Anderson, SCGreenville-Anderson · pop 30,93776Rising$272,913median home+2.4%pop CAGR 17Brawley, CAEl Centro · pop 28,18876Rising$361,066median home+1.6%pop CAGR 18Easley, SCGreenville-Anderson · pop 27,00176Rising$322,127median home+4.2%pop CAGR 19Shelbyville, TNShelbyville · pop 25,79276Rising$313,675median home+2.3%pop CAGR 20Abilene, TXAbilene · pop 130,50175Rising$214,916median home+1.0%pop CAGR 21Springdale, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 89,36875Rising$339,383median home+1.5%pop CAGR 22Warner Robins, GAWarner Robins · pop 86,19975Rising$212,565median home+1.8%pop CAGR 23El Centro, CAEl Centro · pop 44,23075Rising$388,578median home-0.1%pop CAGR 24Calexico, CAEl Centro · pop 38,74475Rising$392,514median home+0.1%pop CAGR 25New Bern, NCNew Bern · pop 34,21875Rising$283,025median home+2.3%pop CAGR 26Statesville, NCCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia · pop 31,69375Rising$298,935median home+2.8%pop CAGR 27Columbia, TNNashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin · pop 48,81274Rising$374,557median home+4.0%pop CAGR 29Simpsonville, SCGreenville-Anderson · pop 28,07874Rising$380,010median home+4.7%pop CAGR 30Brownsville, TXBrownsville-Harlingen · pop 191,96773Rising$196,920median home+0.7%pop CAGR 31Mount Pleasant, SCCharleston-North Charleston · pop 95,60473Rising$881,041median home+1.3%pop CAGR 32Franklin, TNNashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin · pop 89,14273Rising$916,079median home+1.7%pop CAGR 33Laguna Niguel, CALos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · pop 64,18573Rising$1,500,721median home-0.1%pop CAGR 34Kannapolis, NCCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia · pop 60,52173Rising$281,628median home+3.3%pop CAGR 35Lebanon, TNNashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin · pop 51,50173Rising$446,069median home+7.6%pop CAGR 36Stillwater, OKStillwater · pop 50,13873Rising$266,352median home+0.9%pop CAGR 37Monroe, NCCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia · pop 40,05473Rising$358,266median home+3.8%pop CAGR 38Hinesville, GAHinesville · pop 36,58373Rising$239,563median home+1.2%pop CAGR 39Statesboro, GAStatesboro · pop 35,22673Rising$276,936median home+1.3%pop CAGR 40Mint Hill, NCCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia · pop 28,82573Rising$515,422median home+2.2%pop CAGR 41Homewood, ALBirmingham-Hoover · pop 27,91973Rising$566,121median home+1.4%pop CAGR 42Rio Rancho, NMAlbuquerque · pop 112,52472Rising$362,476median home+2.0%pop CAGR 43Yuma, AZYuma · pop 103,55972Rising$297,323median home+2.0%pop CAGR 44Gastonia, NCCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia · pop 85,53572Rising$279,838median home+1.6%pop CAGR 45Burlington, NCBurlington · pop 61,36572Rising$257,450median home+1.7%pop CAGR 46Fountain Valley, CALos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · pop 56,03672Rising$1,387,373median home-0.4%pop CAGR 47Coral Gables, FLMiami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach · pop 50,37972Rising$1,530,987median home+0.6%pop CAGR 48Greer, SCGreenville-Anderson · pop 46,31672Rising$350,548median home+7.0%pop CAGR 49Coachella, CARiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario · pop 45,16572Rising$432,187median home+1.9%pop CAGR 50Owasso, OKTulsa · pop 42,82172Rising$317,586median home+2.9%pop CAGR Sources: Zillow ZHVI, Zillow ZORI, US Census place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.