I know you said that your population is low and there remains a shortage of qualified people.

I don't anticipate a crash or even a sustained drop however, as the market fundamentals are sound: increased job and population growth combined with limited supply will continue driving prices up over time.

Looking for other cities with decent size populations that are still seeing a 1-2% of the sales price in monthly rents.

Mesa ranked #5 in job growth by CityLabCityLab, formerly The Atlantic Cities a digital magazine which focuses on innovation and pressing issues facing today's global cities and neighborhoods, recently ranked the top 10 cities with the fastest growing job markets and fastest growing populations.

I prefer buy and hold there because the population and job growth is so strong.

@Helen M LeyzerovichWhile I am not actively engaged in the area, I do have access to data, which corroborates @Joshua Braskett 's firsthand information.Home values have fallen in the Stuyvesant-Prospect neighborhood and so has the population. 

Now if you are in a major populated area and no available lots, then you are on a reasonable quest.

Population growth is great, great jobs and low unemployment.

The two main reasons are: population growth and greater efficiency.The worlds population is growing so there is more demand each year for food products.

This makes for solid economic fundamentals.You can find similar markets in other regions.Generally, look for population increases, new businesses, and a business climate that supports continued growth.