Sun-drenched city with laid back life is America's fastest-growing

Sun-drenched city with laid back life is America's fastest-growing

• Sun Belt suburbs are growing faster than their bigger, better-known neighbors
• Buckeye, Arizona, and Atascocita, Texas, saw the most growth from 2018-2023

Step aside Phoenix - because Arizona has a new boomtown.

Buckeye has just been ranked America's fastest-growing city. Located 30 miles west of downtown Phoenix, it is outpacing its bigger and better-known neighbor.

Buckeye's population grew by 46 per cent over five years to hit 108,900 people in 2023, an analysis of Census Bureau data by SmartAsset shows.

That's still far short of Phoenix's 1.65 million people, but Buckeye mayor Eric Orsborn says his up-and-comer has more space to grow and 'will be bigger' in the end.

SmartAsset found that most of the country's fastest-growing spots were suburbs or exurbs of bigger cities across the Sun Belt.

They included Atascocita, Texas, Lehi, Utah, Goodyear, Arizona, and Riverview, Florida.

'These high-growth cities are driving change, innovation, and opportunity,' researchers said.

Buckeye started out as a small, quiet farming community in the 1870s but has seen rapid growth in recent years and is expected to grow to 300,000 people by 2040.

Houses and highways are under construction and businesses are moving in.

This month, Tract announced plans for a $20 billion data center park in Buckeye. Last month, Rehrig Pacific celebrated the opening of a 264,000-square-foot manufacturing facility there.

Other developments include a Costco, Abrazo Community Health Network and Banner Health hospitals, and a KORE Power lithium-ion battery plant that will bring some 3,000 jobs to the area.

Local planning chief Ken Galica has talked up an 'exhilarating' retail, business, and housing area called The Landing in northeast Buckeye.

'Buckeye had a reputation for being a sleepy suburban town which was true for a long time, but it's not what we see ourselves being in the future,' Galica told 12News.

'We want to give all of our residents what they're looking for or even prospective residents a reason to move here.'

Realtor Samantha Sloane says Buckeye residents enjoy having bigger homes, a laid-back lifestyle, and great quality schools.

But she adds that summers can be unbearably hot, traffic can be painful, and many people have to commute for work in Phoenix.

Buckeye locals say they appreciate the easy access to hiking trails and several golf courses.

Though people are moving to Buckeye in large numbers, they do not appear to be getting the best deals in the country.

The cost of living and the median house price listing — $441,000 — are both close to the national average.

Atascocita, a suburb of Houston, ranked as America's second-fastest growing city. It grew by 39 percent over five years to hit 119,502 people in 2023.

Meritage Homes and Ashlar Development are among the construction firms building out the sprawling suburbs there.

Lehi, located some 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, comes next. It grew by 37 percent over five years to hit 90,229 people in 2023.

Researchers also identified the cities that posted the biggest population gains in 2023.

Silver Springs, a suburb of Washington DC, in Maryland, recorded the biggest gains of nearly 13 percent to reach 84,996 people.

New Braunfels, Texas, and Glen Burnie, Maryland, also recorded similarly large growth spurts last year.

The boomtowns reflect a pattern across America, which sees people opting for lower taxes, and cheaper, bigger homes in the Sun Belt.

Last year, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina were the most popular destinations for domestic migrants. Together, they saw a net gain of some 366,000 people.

Meanwhile, residents waved goodbye to California, New York, and Illinois in droves.

Those states recorded the biggest exodus, which added up to a whopping loss of 540,000 people.

Americans mostly relocate for better jobs, affordable housing, cheaper living costs, and to cut their tax bills.

Some move away from high crimes areas, homelessness, and the sight of drug addicts stumbling on the sidewalk.