Hey Al,
In order to know the best cities to invest in, first I'd suggest looking into where people are migrating too. When people relocate to another city & state in mass (as we have seen since 2020), it will tell us where we can find a high demand for housing, an increase in economic stimulation, a fast paced growth in property pricing, and higher rents.
According to a recent article in Forbes Magazine, the USPS change-of-address data tracks residential migration across the U.S. and below are the states with the highest number of moves. Overall, the data suggests that many are leaving large cities and chilly states for less congested areas and warmer climes.
Top 10 States People are Leaving:
1. California
2. New York
3. Illinois
4. Pennsylvania
5. Massachusetts
6. Washington
7. Colorado
8. Indiana
9. Michigan
10. Wisconsin
Top 10 States People Are Relocating to:
1. Texas
2. Florida
3. South Carolina
4. North Carolina
5. Georgia
6. Tennessee
7. Nevada
8. Maine
9. Delaware
10. Idaho
While I cannot speak for each specific markets around the US, I can say that in Southwest Florida (and Florida in general) the market is BOOMING.
I am a Real Estate Agent in Naples, Florida. Currently, we are still seeing unprecedented demand for buyers with historically low inventory. Everyone wants to move here but no one wants to leave!
When talking to our buyers, we've found that the main reasons for people relocating to Florida has to do with the politics of their current state, Florida's great tax benefits, and of course: quality of life. This comes in part from our favorable weather, granting our residents access to outdoor living all year round. Plus all the sunshine and sunny days are hard to resist!
In my opinion, and to answer your question more directly, the top 5 growing areas right now that I'll personally be keeping my eye on for investment opportunities:
1. South Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota)
2. Nashville, Tennessee
3. Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin)
4. The Carolina's (Myrtle Beach, Asheville, Charlotte)
5. Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona
Honorable mentions would be Huntsville, Alabama and Jacksonville, Florida.
I'd love to hear other peoples input on this as I find it an interesting subject.