Special Report
Cities That Will Add the Most Jobs by 2060 According to Economists
Published:
Approximately 12 million new jobs will be created between 2020 and 2030, a growth rate of nearly 8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment growth will be led by new jobs in health, computer, and math-related occupations, industries with projected growth rates that far exceed this average.
While some industries and sectors will lead future employment growth, growth will be more concentrated in certain areas. Some parts of America will exceed the national projected new jobs growth while other areas will stagnate or even lose jobs.
To determine the 40 cities that will add the most jobs by 2060, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on employment projections from Woods & Poole Economics, Inc., Washington D.C. Copyright 2022. Metropolitan areas were ranked based on the percentage change in projected employment from 2022 to 2060. Supplemental projections data on employment by industry is also from Woods & Poole.
Among the 40 metropolitan areas with the highest projected job growth by 2060, the number of local jobs is expected to grow by at least 75% and as much as 276%. (Employment growth is often the result of population growth. Here are cities that will grow the fastest in the next few decades.)
Texas and Florida, the country’s second largest and third largest states by population, have the highest number of cities on the list, including the metropolitan areas of Dallas-Fort Worth and Orlando, where employment is forecast to more than double by 2060.
The country’s largest state, California, has three cities on the list, the largest of which is the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of 2.3 million residents, where transportation and warehousing jobs could grow by as much as 185% by 2060.
Employment is expected to more than double in 15 of the 40 cities listed, led by The Villages, Florida, home of the country’s largest age-restricted retirement community. Jobs in this central Florida city of about 81,000 residents is projected to increase to about 198,000 workers, up from nearly 53,000 in 2022, led by an expected massive jump in the number of retail jobs serving this community of retirees.
The fastest growing industries in these 40 cities are led by educational services and company management, followed by jobs in health care, transportation and warehousing, professional and technical services, and wholesale trade. (See if these are among the fastest growing industries in America.)
Here are the cities that will grow the most number of jobs.
40. Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +75.5%
> Total employment, 2022: 206,047
> Projected employment, 2060: 361,594
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+339.0%)
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39. California-Lexington Park, MD
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +76.0%
> Total employment, 2022: 66,924
> Projected employment, 2060: 117,814
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Wholesale trade (+149.3%)
38. Huntsville, AL
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +76.8%
> Total employment, 2022: 323,695
> Projected employment, 2060: 572,279
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+205.2%)
37. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +76.9%
> Total employment, 2022: 4.6 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 8.1 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+437.8%)
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36. Logan, UT-ID
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +80.4%
> Total employment, 2022: 92,360
> Projected employment, 2060: 166,639
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Professional and technical services (+258.5%)
35. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +81.0%
> Total employment, 2022: 477,373
> Projected employment, 2060: 864,190
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Finance and insurance (+267.9%)
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34. El Centro, CA
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +81.1%
> Total employment, 2022: 83,594
> Projected employment, 2060: 151,367
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Health care and social assistance (+320.1%)
33. Athens-Clarke County, GA
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +83.0%
> Total employment, 2022: 134,532
> Projected employment, 2060: 246,215
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Wholesale trade (+212.6%)
32. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +84.0%
> Total employment, 2022: 4.1 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 7.6 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Health care and social assistance (+168.5%)
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31. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +84.1%
> Total employment, 2022: 3.0 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 5.5 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+215.7%)
30. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +84.2%
> Total employment, 2022: 4.3 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 8.0 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Real estate and rental and lease (+285.2%)
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29. Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +85.6%
> Total employment, 2022: 192,476
> Projected employment, 2060: 357,174
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Professional and technical services (+199.5%)
28. Gainesville, GA
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +86.2%
> Total employment, 2022: 127,421
> Projected employment, 2060: 237,266
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+368.0%)
27. Salt Lake City, UT
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +86.2%
> Total employment, 2022: 1.0 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 1.9 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+305.3%)
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26. Jacksonville, FL
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +88.8%
> Total employment, 2022: 1.0 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 1.9 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+285.0%)
25. Boise City, ID
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +89.2%
> Total employment, 2022: 490,132
> Projected employment, 2060: 927,139
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+236.4%)
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24. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +89.2%
> Total employment, 2022: 2.3 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 4.3 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Transportation and warehousing (+184.8%)
23. Naples-Marco Island, FL
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +90.2%
> Total employment, 2022: 247,555
> Projected employment, 2060: 470,885
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+223.3%)
22. Laredo, TX
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +90.4%
> Total employment, 2022: 154,896
> Projected employment, 2060: 294,874
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Administrative and waste services (+166.7%)
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21. Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +92.4%
> Total employment, 2022: 135,049
> Projected employment, 2060: 259,847
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+314.5%)
20. Madera, CA
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +95.0%
> Total employment, 2022: 69,937
> Projected employment, 2060: 136,390
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Forestry, fishing, related activities and other (+312.2%)
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19. Bend, OR
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +95.2%
> Total employment, 2022: 132,866
> Projected employment, 2060: 259,341
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+403.0%)
18. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +97.1%
> Total employment, 2022: 257,439
> Projected employment, 2060: 507,405
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Health care and social assistance (+238.4%)
17. Nashville, TN
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +97.4%
> Total employment, 2022: 1.5 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 2.9 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+333.5%)
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16. Midland, TX
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +99.6%
> Total employment, 2022: 166,086
> Projected employment, 2060: 331,468
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+472.3%)
15. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +103.6%
> Total employment, 2022: 1.6 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 3.2 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+548.4%)
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14. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +104.1%
> Total employment, 2022: 1.9 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 3.8 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+250.9%)
13. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +104.6%
> Total employment, 2022: 1.8 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 3.6 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+290.2%)
12. Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +108.4%
> Total employment, 2022: 124,186
> Projected employment, 2060: 258,758
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+650.1%)
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11. Port St. Lucie, FL
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +110.3%
> Total employment, 2022: 244,375
> Projected employment, 2060: 513,901
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+291.6%)
10. Raleigh-Cary, NC
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +111.7%
> Total employment, 2022: 954,888
> Projected employment, 2060: 2.0 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Arts, entertainment, and recreation (+275.9%)
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9. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +112.1%
> Total employment, 2022: 347,062
> Projected employment, 2060: 736,130
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+373.6%)
8. Charleston-North Charleston, SC
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +112.6%
> Total employment, 2022: 532,727
> Projected employment, 2060: 1.1 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+580.1%)
7. St. George, UT
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +113.2%
> Total employment, 2022: 111,218
> Projected employment, 2060: 237,158
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+216.9%)
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6. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +114.6%
> Total employment, 2022: 5.5 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 11.8 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+502.5%)
5. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +118.0%
> Total employment, 2022: 1.5 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 3.2 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+624.2%)
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4. Mcallen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +122.7%
> Total employment, 2022: 416,893
> Projected employment, 2060: 928,239
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Educational services (+385.8%)
3. Provo-Orem, UT
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +123.3%
> Total employment, 2022: 409,486
> Projected employment, 2060: 914,441
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Transportation and warehousing (+309.1%)
2. Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +152.7%
> Total employment, 2022: 1.7 million
> Projected employment, 2060: 4.2 million
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Management of companies and enterprises (+451.9%)
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1. The Villages, FL
> Projected employment growth, 2022 to 2060: +275.6%
> Total employment, 2022: 52,841
> Projected employment, 2060: 198,472
> Fastest growing industry, 2022 to 2060: Retail trade (+454.3%)
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