It comes as California experienced positive population growth in 2023 for the first time since 2020.
LATHROP, California—A A new report shows that the fastest growing city in California is in San Joaquin County. Lathrop is ranked No. 1, according to the state finance department.
It comes as California experienced positive population growth in 2023 for the first time since 2020. The growth can mean more jobs, investment and business opportunities.
KeynoteUSA10 spoke with experts who have witnessed the change firsthand and explained what the growth can mean for the community. It is the first part of a series looking at the region’s growing cities.
“We’ve seen the growth and it’s incredible,” said real estate agent Susan Vallejo.
Vallejo moved to Lathrop from the Bay Area with her husband and children about nine years ago.
“You can’t get this lifestyle in the Bay Area for the price you pay here,” Vallejo said.
Lathrop topped the list of the 10 fastest-growing cities in California with populations over 30,000, according to a new report from the California Department of Finance. The report also shows that housing production plays an important role in growth.
Experts KeynoteUSA10 spoke to said one of the most attractive things about moving to a growing city like Lathrop is the affordability.
“I would tell people that if you’re looking at Lathrop, you have to see Lathrop from the freeway, you have to get out on the surface streets and drive,” City Manager Stephen Salvatore said.
Salvatore has been in town for the past 17 years. He says shifting from development to infrastructure during the recession and then focusing heavily on industry and recovering manufacturing helped pave the way for growth.
“We’re working on projects that are 15 to 20 years away for us, and the reason we do that is because it gives us the ability in the future to avoid higher costs at that time,” Salvatore said.
Big names like Tesla, Wayfair and In-N-Out are some of the companies with large centers in Lathrop. Salvatore says Lathrop’s advantage in attracting business is its ability to eliminate bureaucracy.
“Tesla has expanded from 400,000 square feet. There are now over 3 million square feet here in Lathrop. The reason they are is because we move very fast and at their own pace. We give them what they need to carry out their expansion projects,” Salvatore said.
But that hasn’t come without some growing pains.
“The hard part for residents moving to a new city is what comes first. Business development,” Salvatore said. “We’ve seen the struggle. They’re trying to get retail into the market here, but it’s starting to pick up now. We’re starting to get a lot of interest.”
For lifelong residents like Vallejo, investing in a growing community is paying off and the future looks bright.
Lathrop is not alone; In fact, three other cities in the region also rank among the top 10 fastest-growing cities according to the state Department of Finance: Folsom, Manteca and Yuba City.
You can read the full Department of Finance report HERE.
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