Counties Seeing the Most Population Growth

Considering factors such as affordability, lifestyle, and long-term career growth, Americans are continuing to migrate to cities that better suit their needs and preferences. Those decisions can provide useful insights for home builders, developers, and other industry professionals as they decide which cities to target for future projects and investments. 

A recent ResiClub blog analyzed U.S. Census Burea data of the the nation’s 1,500 most populated counties to determine which areas of the U.S. are seeing the largest share of new residents.

Interestingly, a majority of counties experiencing population growth—about 64%—are located in either Texas or Florida, though the county welcoming the most new residents is Dawson County, Ga., located in the north Atlanta metropolitan area. As of most recent 2024 data, that county gained 63.9 new residents for every 1,000 residents.

Dawson County was followed by Kaufman County, Texas, located in the Dallas metro, which gained 59.5 new people for every 1,000 people who live there, followed by Jasper County, S.C., which gained 58.7 people for every 1,000 residents.

Understanding where America’s fastest-growing counties are isn’t just a demographic curiosity—it’s a strategic long-term edge for land investors, developers, and homebuilders. Population growth is a signal of where the housing stock could need long-term expansion. Over time, fast-growing counties often evolve into bigger economic hubs—think Denton County outside Dallas—and incomes/wealth rise long-term in those places, so do house prices.

We should point out that sometimes growth markets—which might have the best long-term outlooks—also carry a higher probability of passing through a short-term correction. See, these regions are more likely to experience sharp domestic migration booms followed by sudden deceleration. When migration surges coincide with easy-to-build conditions and a large influx of development or investor capital, the upswing can accelerate quickly. Builders scale up production, land values soar, and prices can detach from local income fundamentals.

But when demand cools—whether due to higher mortgage rates, diminished affordability, or slowing in-migration—these same markets can correct faster than supply-constrained markets. It’s a pattern that’s been visible since the end of the Pandemic Housing Boom, as parts of the Sun Belt—including Austin and Southwest Florida—saw local price pullbacks after a period of intense construction and investor activity. Over time, however, these areas often stabilize and resume growth, supported by their underlying economic momentum and continued appeal to households seeking relative affordability, lifestyle, or job opportunities.