Austin, Texas, leads CSP’s list for a second time. The proof’s in the continued growth trajectory of the thriving market. It boasts the highest share of people working or looking for jobs and the highest growth in payroll employment. It also has attracted large corporations, including Oracle and Tesla. Its population doubled over the past 20 years, and it is projected to quadruple to 4.5 million people by 2040, according to the Austin Business Journal. Eighty miles away, San Antonio is wed to Austin via the I-10 growth factor. The city’s job growth is 6.1%, according to CrowdStreet’s top places to invest for retail. The city also recovered well from the pandemic, with the unemployment rate dropping from a peak of about 11.6% down to 5.4%.