Blog
Analysis and insights on housing markets and economic trends
America's Next Boom Towns Aren't Where You Think: We Ranked 9 Housing-Market Types
We sorted every U.S. county into 9 housing-market types, ranked by the model's forward price prediction — and the fast-growing Sun Belt lands near the bottom.
The Safest, Most Affordable Places to Live Aren't Boom Towns
We filtered U.S. counties for safe, affordable, and a strong 5-year home-price forecast. The winners aren't Sun Belt boom towns — they're in the heartland.
When a 30% Pay Cut Still Leaves You Richer: The Cost-of-Living Arbitrage Math
Most salary-cut decisions are evaluated wrong. The math is dominated by housing — and a 30% pay cut often nets more cash than the original job.
The Builders Already Picked Their Next Boom Towns (And They're Not in Austin Anymore)
Single-family permits crashed 50% in Austin, Nashville, and Tampa from 2019 to 2024 — while doubling in counties most relocators have never heard of. Where builders put capital tells you what they think demand will support.
5 Signs a "Fastest-Growing" County Has Already Peaked
Most fastest-growing-county lists are 2-3 years stale. Five data signals — building permits, job-mix, wage-vs-price, migration trend, amenity backing — tell you in five minutes whether a hot county has already crested.
$4 Trillion in Capital Investment: We Mapped 3,901 Projects Across 858 U.S. Counties
We tracked $4T in announced capital investment across 858 American counties. Data centers ($2T), energy ($890B), manufacturing ($590B). Here's where the money is flowing in 2026 — and the rural counties getting more capex than New York City.
The Boom Town Safety Paradox: Why Top-Ranked Counties Skew Unsafe
Of the 50 highest-scoring counties on the Boom Town Index, 48% grade C, D, or F on safety. The data reveals an uncomfortable pattern about where economic value hides.
Housing P/E Ratio: How to Value Real Estate Like a Stock
The housing P/E ratio compares home prices to local economic output. Learn how this metric reveals overvalued and undervalued real estate markets across the U.S.