Emmie Martin | @emmiemartin  9:00 AM ET Sat, 27 April 2019

Though wages remain stagnant for many American workers, there are several cities around the U.S. where incomes are on the rise.

Personal finance website GOBankingRates analyzed 347 American citieswith populations of 500,000 or under, looking for places experiencing a combination of economic prosperity, population growth and rising incomes. To rank the top “boomtowns,” or cities that meet these criteria, the site looked at five-year data on population, housing, GDP and per capita income from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

These locations are good alternatives for people who want to avoid notoriously expensive cities, such as New York or San Francisco, because they “offer incentives, such as a more affordable cost-of-living or a higher paycheck — or both,” GOBankingRates reports.

Below, check out 15 U.S. growing cities where the economy is booming and salaries are on the rise.

15. Santa Cruz, California

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 20.5%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 6.1%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 23.3%

14. Durham, North Carolina

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 15.8%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 11.9%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 14.8%

13. Charlottesville, Virginia

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 17.9%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 7.6%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 22.4%

Richard Cummins | Getty ImagesHistoric Downtown Mall, Charlottesville, Virginia.

12. Miami, Florida

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 17.7%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 10.2%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 29.4%

11. San Luis Obispo, California

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 23.9%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 3.7%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 26.2%

10. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 13.2%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 10.3%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 23.5%

Denis Jr. Tangney | E+ | Getty ImagesSioux Falls, South Dakota.

9. Bismarck, North Dakota

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 8.1%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 13.9%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 23.7%

8. Raleigh, North Carolina

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 15%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 11%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 33%

7. Fayetteville, Arkansas

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 23.4%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 10.4%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 37.6%

Wesley Hitt | Getty ImagesResidents enjoy the saturday morning Farmers Market on the square in downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas.

6. Reno, Nevada

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 26.5%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 5.9%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 36.7%

5. Santa Rosa, California

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 28.6%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 4.2%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 33.8%

4. Boulder, Colorado

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 24.3%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 7.2%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 22.3%

Andrew Peacock | Getty ImagesSunrise over Boulder from second Flatiron. Boulder, Colorado.

3. Sebastian, Florida

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 20.9%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 9.3%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 23.5%

2. Santa Fe, New Mexico

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 17.2%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 21.5%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 9.5%

1. Naples, Florida

Personal income growth, 2012 to 2017: 22.8%
Population growth, 2012 to 2017: 6.8%
GDP increase, 2012 to 2017: 34%

Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!

Emmie Martin Associate money editor, CNBC Make It

Original Article at
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/26/us-cities-where-business-is-booming-and-salaries-are-rising.html?fbclid=IwAR02fJ9kIWcEgqJ2cdmb3JUK0Q-8EOLwWFuvAgQoHyf900N4LH7_Thp8E-s