Realtor.com has released its inaugural list of the fastest growing neighborhoods in America, based on the increase in the number of households, jobs and new homes under construction.

All of the top 10 boomtowns are in major cities or within 20 miles of one.

“The top 10 list has a decided urban tilt,” Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for Realtor.com, said. “This does reflect a shift toward denser and more walkable locations that appeal to both the young and older demographic segments that are driving today's housing market.”

Ryan Fuchs of Ifrah Financial Services in Frisco, Texas, added, “Advisers should view these rankings as another data point … [that] can certainly indicate areas of future growth, which can be an indicator of areas to get clients.”

He cautioned, however, that “high projected growth … does not necessarily mean that the people moving in would fit a particular adviser's profile of an ideal or preferred client.”

In compiling the list, Realtor.com first ranked the single best county in each state, then the 30 best counties from that list, all based on a balanced growth index for job creation, new construction starts and household growth in 2016.

New construction accounted for 50% of the weight in the index, while household growth and job growth each had a 25% weighting. The 10 best neighborhoods in the highest rated counties were then chosen based on a five-year projection for household growth.

All of these so-called boomtowns are projected to experience household growth between 9% and 20% over the next five years. The report was based on data from multiple sources including Moody's Analytics, Nielsen Demographics and Realtor.com.

Many of the top-ranked counties today also dominated the housing boom in 2005, according to Smoke. Los Angeles County and Cook County in Illinois, however, are showing substantially stronger growth now.

Here are Realtor.com's top 10 boomtowns in America:

10. Atlanta

ZIP Code: 30363

Neighborhood: The Atlantic Station neighborhood is on the northwestern side of midtown Atlanta and near the Atlanta Beltline, a former railway corridor around the core of Atlanta that is being developed as a multi-use trail.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 15.7%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 2.3X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 1.4X

9. Chicago

ZIP Code: 60603

Neighborhood: Home to the Art Institute of Chicago, and east of South Wacker Drive, a major roadway in downtown Chicago, and south and west of the famous Millennium Park, which borders Lake Michigan.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 18.9%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 1.4X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 4.2X

8. Brooklyn, New York

ZIP Code: 11249

Neighborhood: The Willimasburg section of Brooklyn was once the home of hipsters, and now, in this particular ZIP code, the home of residents in multimillion-dollar condos along the East River waterfront.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 9.2%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 1.9X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 2.0X

7. Rolesville, North Carolina

ZIP Code: 27571

Neighborhood: Rolesville is a suburb about 30 miles outside of Raleigh, the state capital, with many family farms and, at almost 180 years old, a small-town feel.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 12.1%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 2.4X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 1.3X

6. Seattle

ZIP Code: 98121

Neighborhood: The home of the famous Pike Place market on the Puget Sound waterfront, this neghborhood also includes the Seattle acquarium and is due south of the landmark Space Needle.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 11.9%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 3.1X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 2.3X

5. Las Vegas

ZIP Code: 89179

Neighborhood: A residential area south and west of the famous and infamous Las Vegas Strip and east of Red Rock National Park.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 19.4%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 3.3X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 2.5X

4. Miami

ZIP Code: 33132

Neighborhood: Another waterfront neighborhood near downtown Miami, but unlike many others, it's also home to an amphitheater and sports arena and not the last landmass before a large body of water. That would be Miami Beach, due east of this Miami neighborhood.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 14.9%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 3.0X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 4.8X

3. Dallas

ZIP Code: 75201

Neighborhood: A densely populated, affluent residential neighborhood that is one of several in downtown Dallas where young people have moved in. It's east of the historic West End district and south of the redeveloped Uptown neighborhood.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 14.9%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 3.8X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 4.5X

2. Los Angeles

ZIP Code: 90012

Neighborhood: Home to the city's Chinatown as well as Dodger Stadium and southwest of trendy Silverlake, with home prices somewhat more affordable than other neighborhoods.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 8.8%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 5.0X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 7.2X

1. Gilbert, Arizona

ZIP Code: 85297

Neighborhood: Located southeast of Phoenix, Gilbert is one of the fastest growing towns in America. Its current population is 35 times what it was 35 years ago and it sits in Maricopa County, where the most famous, or infamous, resident is Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Projected Five-Year Household Growth: 15.9%

Housing Starts Growth for County vs. Top 100: 5.7X

Job Growth for County vs. Top 100: 5.8X

Instant Insights /

10 Top American Boomtowns

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