Americans are flocking to these 15 cities where jobs are plentiful, salaries are rising and business is booming
Though housing is scarce and wages are stagnant across the country, a lot of American cities are booming: They offer job opportunities, thriving businesses and an abundance of places to live.
Personal finance site MagnifyMoney identified America's biggest "boomtowns" by analyzing how the 100 largest metro areas in the country changed over a five-year period (between 2011 and 2016) across three categories: population and housing; workforce and earnings; and business growth. Cities could earn a possible score of 100 in each category, which were then averaged together for the final ranking. You can read the full methodology here.
The survey took into account factors such as total number of available housing units, unemployment rate, median earnings for workers, number of business establishments and number of employees paid per pay period to determine which metro areas aren't just rapidly expanding but actually sustaining healthy growth over time.
Below, check out the top 15 attractive U.S. cities where jobs are plentiful, salaries are rising and business is good.
15. Des Moines, Iowa
Population and housing score: 59.7
Workforce and earnings score: 42.8
Business growth score: 52.5
14. Orlando, Florida
Population and housing score: 55.7
Workforce and earnings score: 39.8
Business growth score: 64.2
13. Charlotte, North Carolina
Population and housing score: 55.7
Workforce and earnings score: 39.8
Business growth score: 64.2
12. Ogden, Utah
Population and housing score: 51.2
Workforce and earnings score: 46.8
Business growth score: 63.3
11. Houston, Texas
Population and housing score: 77.7
Workforce and earnings score: 41.9
Business growth score: 43.9
10. McAllen, Texas
Population and housing score: 60.3
Workforce and earnings score: 62.2
Business growth score: 44.3
9. San Antonio, Texas
Population and housing score: 57.2
Workforce and earnings score: 45.4
Business growth score: 64.5
8. Boise, Idaho
Population and housing score: 53.2
Workforce and earnings score: 47.8
Business growth score: 67
7. Dallas, Texas
Population and housing score: 61.4
Workforce and earnings score: 48.7
Business growth score: 64.4
6. Denver, Colorado
Population and housing score: 52.2
Workforce and earnings score: 58.3
Business growth score: 65.3
5. Nashville, Tennessee
Population and housing score: 54.5
Workforce and earnings score: 54.6
Business growth score: 72.9
4. Charleston, South Carolina
Population and housing score: 66.9
Workforce and earnings score: 60.6
Business growth score: 71.7
3. Raleigh, North Carolina
Population and housing score: 84.1
Workforce and earnings score: 48.3
Business growth score: 70.8
2. Provo, Utah
Population and housing score: 79.9
Workforce and earnings score: 52.2
Business growth score: 95.1
1. Austin, Texas
Population and housing score: 100
Workforce and earnings score: 70.3
Business growth score: 93
Don't miss: This simple chart will show you how close you are to early retirement
Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!