JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville is one of the fastest-growing major metropolitan areas in the country, ranking No. 7 on LendingTree’s latest list of America’s biggest boomtowns.
The Jacksonville metropolitan area earned a final score of 59.0 out of 100 in the financial-services company’s analysis of the nation’s 50 largest metros. The ranking measured growth in three categories: people and housing, work and earnings, and business and the economy. All category scores are out of 100.
Jacksonville ranked No. 4 in people and housing, scoring 67.2. It scored 66.3 in work and earnings and 43.6 in business and the economy.
The ranking placed Jacksonville behind Austin, Texas; Raleigh, North Carolina; Seattle; Charlotte, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Phoenix. It ranked ahead of Orlando, Houston and Nashville, which rounded out the top 10.
The South dominated the list, accounting for eight of the 10 highest-ranked metros. Florida placed three metros in the top 10, with Tampa at No. 5, Jacksonville at No. 7 and Orlando at No. 8.
LendingTree said the latest analysis compared 2023 and 2024 data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and Business Formation Statistics, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Each category was scored separately, and the final ranking was calculated by averaging the three category scores.
Austin took the No. 1 spot for the third consecutive year. It posted the nation’s highest housing-unit growth, at 3.4%, and the largest increase in new business applications, at 11.3%.
LendingTree Chief Consumer Finance Analyst Matt Schulz said Southern metros have benefited from population growth, a lower cost of living in many communities and a business climate attractive to employers.
But rapid growth can also bring higher rents, increased competition and more pressure for businesses to stand out, Schulz said.
“If you can carve out a niche and build a loyal customer base, these fast-growing Southern metros can be great places to put down roots,” Schulz said.
Click here to see the full analysis.
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