America's midsize, 'inner Sun Belt' cities grow
One example is Murfreesboro, Tenn., which grew 51 percent in the '90s and has surged 26 percent since then.
from the July 11, 2007 edition
Page 4 of 4
Manufacturing jobs have flowed in, with Nissan's auto plant in Smyrna leading the way. But so have insurance and healthcare jobs. It's also a trucking hub, says David Penn, an economist at Middle Tennessee State University here. The area is within a day's drive of half the nation's population, making it a desirable location for warehousing and distribution.
The rapid growth brings the challenge of how to manage it.
"The traffic stinks," says Margaret Bogle, laughing as she looks out the window at potential customers driving by her quilt shop. "Memorial Boulevard is so busy that it's hard for them to see [the store]."
But with growth has come new job opportunities for young people and expansion of the university.
"At night you can't find a parking place," says Matt Murfree III, an attorney whose surname hails from the same Revolutionary War hero for whom the city is named. "It's like the gold rush here. The growth is phenomenal."
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