1001 counties analyzed

County Rankings & Lists

Explore U.S. counties ranked by economic growth, housing affordability, investment potential, and more. Every ranking is data-driven — built from GDP, population, income, home prices, and rental yields.

Full County Rankings

The complete Boom Town Index — all 1001 scored counties in one sortable table. Filter by state, sort by any metric.

counties ranked

Short-Term Momentum Rankings

All 1001 counties ranked by projected 1-year home value growth. A momentum-weighted model showing where prices are accelerating right now.

Themed Rankings

Most Affordable Counties in America

Counties where housing is most affordable relative to local incomes.

1. Apache County 85 · 2. McKinley County 3 · 3. Vermilion County 10

Fastest Growing Counties in America

Counties experiencing the fastest population growth, signaling strong migration inflows and economic opportunity.

1. Kaufman County 26 · 2. Rockwall County 17 · 3. Liberty County 4

Most Undervalued Housing Markets

Counties where home prices are lowest relative to local economic output (GDP per capita).

1. St. Louis city 35 · 2. Potter County 97 · 3. Sangamon County 92

Best Counties for Real Estate Investment

Counties combining strong BTI scores with favorable price-to-rent ratios — where long-term growth potential meets rental cash flow.

1. St. Lawrence County 100 · 2. Broome County 100 · 3. Taylor County 98

Counties with Highest GDP Growth

Counties leading the nation in real GDP growth — the economic engines powering local job creation and wage increases.

Best Climate & Terrain

Counties with the best climate and terrain based on the USDA Natural Amenities Scale — measuring temperature mildness, sunshine, low humidity, topographic variation, and water area.

1. Ventura County 5 · 2. Humboldt County 2 · 3. Santa Barbara County 1

Best Counties for Rental Yield

Counties where home prices are lowest relative to rental income — the best markets for cash-flow positive rental properties.

1. St. Lawrence County 100 · 2. Orangeburg County 84 · 3. McKinley County 3

Lowest BTI Scores

The 50 lowest-scoring counties on the Boom Town Index — typically where housing costs have outpaced local economic fundamentals, quality of life, or job growth.

1. Alexandria city 0 · 2. Ector County 0 · 3. Waller County 0

Most Overvalued Housing Markets

Counties where home prices are highest relative to local economic output (GDP per capita).

1. San Benito County 79 · 2. Island County 37 · 3. Kings County 69

Biggest Capital Investments by County

Counties attracting the largest capital investments — data centers, manufacturing plants, energy projects, and infrastructure.

1. Doña Ana County 30 · 2. Virginia Beach city 74 · 3. Platte County 39

Best Counties for Families

The best counties to raise a family — combining economic growth, low crime, and enough population for good schools and healthcare.

1. Chemung County 100 · 2. St. Lawrence County 100 · 3. Indiana County 100

Best Air Quality (Large Counties)

Among counties with populations over 100,000, these have the cleanest air based on EPA monitoring data.

1. Columbiana County 78 · 2. Mohave County 53 · 3. Maui County 36

Worst Air Quality (Large Counties)

Among counties with populations over 100,000, these have the worst air quality based on EPA monitoring data.

1. Maricopa County 30 · 2. Riverside County 40 · 3. San Bernardino County 73

Safest Boom Towns in America

The best of both worlds: counties with strong Boom Town Index scores AND low crime.

1. Chemung County 100 · 2. St. Lawrence County 100 · 3. Indiana County 100

Safest Counties in America (Large Counties)

Among large counties (population 100,000+), these have the lowest homicide rates per 100,000 residents — lower rates indicate safer communities.

1. Saratoga County 79 · 2. Morris County 50 · 3. Rockingham County 36

Most Dangerous Counties (Large Counties)

Among large counties (population 100,000+), these have the highest homicide rates per 100,000 residents.

1. St. Louis city 35 · 2. Baltimore city 5 · 3. Hinds County 9

Counties Where Safety Is Improving Fastest

Large counties (100,000+ population) where the homicide rate has fallen the most since 2015, ranked by percentage improvement.

1. Collier County 73 · 2. Sarasota County 12 · 3. Union County 24

Counties Where Crime Is Rising Fastest

Large counties (100,000+ population) that were at or below the national average for homicide in 2015 and have since seen the steepest rise.

1. Florence County 23 · 2. Ouachita Parish 78 · 3. Fayette County 57

State-Level Rankings

Most Expensive States to Live In

All states ranked by median home value, from most to least expensive.

1. Hawaii · 2. District of Columbia · 3. California

Cheapest States to Buy a House

The cheapest states to buy a house, ranked by median home value.

1. West Virginia · 2. Ohio · 3. Illinois

Fastest Growing States in America

States ranked by population growth, GDP, and economic momentum.

1. Florida · 2. Utah · 3. Idaho

Best States to Buy a Home

States ranked by true affordability — home price + property taxes vs. income.

1. West Virginia · 2. Alabama · 3. Arkansas

Rankings by State

Alaska 4 Alabama 27 Arkansas 13 Arizona 11 California 43 Colorado 15 District of Columbia 1 Delaware 3 Florida 41 Georgia 41 Hawaii 4 Iowa 11 Idaho 8 Illinois 28 Indiana 28 Kansas 10 Kentucky 19 Louisiana 21 Massachusetts 12 Maryland 18 Maine 9 Michigan 36 Minnesota 18 Missouri 22 Mississippi 15 Montana 6 North Carolina 51 North Dakota 4 Nebraska 5 New Hampshire 8 New Jersey 21 New Mexico 11 Nevada 6 New York 45 Ohio 49 Oklahoma 15 Oregon 18 Pennsylvania 44 Rhode Island 5 South Carolina 24 South Dakota 3 Tennessee 33 Texas 71 Utah 9 Virginia 37 Vermont 5 Washington 21 Wisconsin 29 West Virginia 11 Wyoming 2