20 MOST AFFORDABLE, FASTEST-GROWING CITIES IN U.S. INCLUDE 2 FROM WEST VALLEY

PHOENIX ARIZONA REAL ESTATE

20 Most Affordable, Fastest-Growing Cities In U.S. Include 2 From West Valley

By AZBigMedia, azbigmedia.com | March 16, 2026

Arizona’s rapid growth hasn’t gone unnoticed — and new data suggests parts of the state are still offering affordability alongside expansion. A new study highlighting the 50 Most Affordable, Fastest-Growing Cities ranked two Arizona cities among the nation’s top affordable growth markets.

MoneyLion analyzed data using sources like the U.S. Census, Zillow, and Bureau of Labor Statistics expenditure data to find where affordability and growth still intersect.

Arizona highlights include:

Goodyear ranked #2 nationally, with a five‑year population growth rate of 33.9%, one of the fastest in the entire study.
Peoria ranked #17, continuing Arizona’s reputation as a magnet for migration within the Sun Belt.
Goodyear renters average more than $56,000 in leftover annual income, while homeowners retain nearly $48,000 after living expenses.

Americans can now afford living on the coast without worrying they’ll be priced out. New research from MoneyLion shows 50 U.S. cities rank as the nation’s most affordable and fastest growing. And of these 50, 14 cities are in coastal states, including California, Florida, North Carolina and Washington.

Qualifying cities for this study have total populations of at least 100,000, a one-year and five-year population growth larger than the national growth rate and an average rental or mortgage cost lower than the national average.

MoneyLion studied Census American Community surveys from 2019, 2023 and 2024 to calculate one-year and five-year population changes. Each city’s median household income and total cost of living for homeowners and renters was used to calculate the leftover savings for homeowners as well as for renters. To rank the cities, the population changes, leftover savings for homeowners and leftover savings for renters were scored.

Key Findings

Eleven Texas cities ranked, the most out of any U.S. state. These cities and ranks are as follows: Frisco (#1), New Braunfels (#2), McKinney (#4), Allen (#6), League City (#9), Conroe (#10), Lewisville (#11), Pearland (#12), Denton (#24), Fort Worth (#33) and Grand Prairie (#39).
Florida trails closely behind Texas in affordability. Seven Sunshine State cities received honors including Cape Coral (#15), Palm Bay (#20), Orlando (#34), Brandon (#40), Lakeland (#43), Lehigh Acres (#44) and Jacksonville (#45).
Visalia and Vancouver are America’s most affordable West Coast cities. Visalia, California ranked at #42 while Vancouver, Washington snagged 50th place. The leftover savings for homeowners amount to $31,005 in Visalia and $23,784 in Vancouver.
North Carolina had an impressive turnout. Five cities ranked in the top 50 including Cary (#8), Concord (#14), Raleigh (#35), Charlotte (#36) and Durham (#37).
Homeowners earn enough annually to have more than $70,000 in leftover savings in six ranking cities. From most to least leftover savings, they include Frisco, Texas ($83,713), Carmel, Indiana ($80,872), Fishers, Indiana ($77,328), Allen, Texas ($75,904), League City, Texas ($73,612) and Cary, North Carolina ($71,069).