We don’t need Texas Motor Speedway to know we’re fast, but we’ll take the acclaim from Forbes, which named Dallas as the fourth fastest-growing city in the US. Also on the list are Austin at No. 1 (for the fourth consecutive year), Houston at No. 10, and San Antonio at No. 20. One big reason Forbes picked us: the state’s strong population growth in 2013 and sub-6% unemployment. Forbes says Dallas’ projected growth rate of 2.08% for 2014 is pretty good, and deemed the local economy’s year-over-year growth rate a healthy 3.57%.

Big D’s commercial real estate is stepping up to meet the growth; the 22-story 167k SF Frost Tower broke ground in December; KDC broke ground last summer on CityLine; Hall Office Park is adding a new building in Frisco; and developer Craig Hall started the 18-story KMPG Plaza at Hall Arts in downtown. Granite also has a new tower along the Tollway (where many others have been started, including a Trammell Crow building), and there’s the Dallas Cowboys World HQ in Frisco and the 240-acre $2B mixed-use development called Legacy West. (Just remember, kids, you can't play with shovels if you don't bring enough for everyone.)