Sun Belt Markets – and Salt Lake City – Dominate 2026 Job Growth Leaderboard

Among the nation’s 50 largest apartment markets, 27 are expected to see job growth above the U.S. average of 0.4% in 2026. Of those 27 markets, 20 are in the Sun Belt. Salt Lake City was the only major market outside the Sun Belt with forecasted employment growth greater than 0.7%, with an expected increase of 1.1%, according to data from RealPage Market Analytics. Austin is expected to record the fastest job growth in the nation among major markets. In addition to Austin’s forecasted employment expansion of 1.6% in calendar 2026, several other Sun Belt markets are also set to post solid job gains. Dallas and Orlando are expected to see employment grow by 1.2%, while Raleigh/Durham is set to match Salt Lake City’s forecasted job growth of 1.1%. Charlotte and Fort Worth should both see job growth of 1% in calendar 2026. On the other hand, the weakest job change performances among the nation’s 50 largest markets are expected in Baltimore, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, which are all forecasted to see essentially no change in their respective job counts in the coming year.