Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek and Chandler are the fastest-growing cities thanks to those who are moving to Arizona and living in Phoenix.
Cities across the Phoenix Valley have picked up a reputation for rapid growth in recent years, but a new report shows the East Valley boasts some of the nation’s fastest-growing cities over the longer haul.
The analysis from online self-storage listings platform Storage Cafe, measured Gilbert as the large city with the fourth-fastest growth in the country from 2014 to 2023. The East Valley city grew by 22% during that time, a percentage matched in its category by the larger Henderson, Nevada, and exceeded only by Irvine, California (34%) and Orlando, Florida (25%).
Two other East Valley Phoenix cities were also on the high-growth side of the large-cities list, which includes 88 cities whose populations are higher than 250,000. Chandler, Arizona ranked No. 17 with 13% growth over a decade, while Mesa, Arizona ranked No. 22 with 12% growth.
“Both boast strong job markets, with unemployment at just 2.9%, well below the national average of 4.1%,” the report said, noting that average home prices in both cities has grown to more than $500,000.
Further down the list were Phoenix, which grew 9% and landed at No. 35, Glendale, with 8% growth at No. 41. Tucson was the only other Arizona city on that list, growing 3% and ranking at No. 62.
The majority of the 88 cities on the list experienced some growth, but 15 either stayed even or shrank in population, according to the report, with Detroit bottoming out after a population loss of 8%.
Smaller Valley city shows bigger percentage growth
But while Gilbert was near the top for large cities, the percentage growth of another East Valley community was more than six times higher. Queen Creek’s population increased 133% to land at No. 13 on the overall list of American cities, regardless of size. It was the only Arizona city to make Storage Cafe’s top 100.
Fast-growing, smaller cities can register significantly larger percentage increases than their larger neighbors because even smaller numerical growth can make a bigger impact on their size.
Storage Cafe gave Queen Creek recognition for its lifestyle appeal.
“Often recognized as one of the best cities to raise a family in the West, Queen Creek offers a high quality of life, with abundant green space, convenient access to shopping and dining and a strong sense of community,” the report said. “It’s also known for its safety, with a crime rate below 1%.”
That said, the report noted that Queen Creek’s housing prices were up 130% in 2023 over those of a decade earlier, far outpacing the 90% increase seen on average across the nation. The report said the average home price last November reached $638,000.
The overall cities list showed robust growth in suburbs of major metros in Texas and Florida, and in the West in Washington and Utah. Fulshear, Texas, near Houston, saw the nation’s largest percentage increase, at 1,082%.
Storage Cafe said it analyzed 2,510 cities with populations of at least 10,000. Population data came from the U.S. Census Bureau and home price data was sourced from Zillow.
Article By Jeff Gifford – Digital Editor, Phoenix Business Journal
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