I look at population growth of both urban core and suburbs, job core and are they recession resistant, and how did it handle the pandemic and the great recession.

The city has had a stead population decline for the last 50 years, year after year and 34% of its residents live under the poverty line.

Once you have this team in place, you should be able to confidently invest in any market.As for picking a specific market - I would go after one with an increasing job and population growth.

The aging population and severe shortage of senior living facilities creates a strong, growing market.

As I expand my search throughout central Texas I'm finding deals in smaller towns (population 2k-8k).

To me, if all just works itself out.That is...unless your goal is to just be the shittiest landlord to your tenants and simply screw them over at every turn possible because you can....then go for the easy landlord laws.In a general sense, future job and population growth is what makes a market more attractive for REI.

What one indicator might imply is offset by 10 others - including our population growth, weather (the pandemic was a whole lot different here), no state tax, a tourist industry that takes vacation rentals to a whole new level, as well as our year-over-year property appreciation and rent increases.  

I live in Palm Beach County as well and it the population is growing with high income/net worth families moving from up north, pushing up the high end real estate and business values.

I just had a look at population growth stats for Dallas.

There's just one catch: It's in a shrinking town in a shrinking area (population wise).