Where are the Boon Towns?
NOTE: It’s been pointed out (see comments) that I was using the word “boon”, which means good or favorable, when I should have just been using the compound word “boomtown”. Overthinking things won’t get me anywhere, it seems. 
In the midst of a real estate crash that most of the nation is feeling acutely, there are still some areas that are experiencing surprising growth and profit. What is it about places like Ogden, Utah and Austin, Texas (among others) that is driving median prices up by an average of 10% and still keeping the homes affordable for a family with a median income?
First of all, these are locations with a thriving local industry. New factories are a major indicator in the cities that are doing well. New jobs are being created in the thousands and people are moving the area. That’s good news for regions with real estate growth. While the rest of the nation sits and waits for what could easily be a decade for the housing trends to shift, people selling and buying homes in Asheville, North Carolina and Beaumont, Texas are sitting pretty.
So, does that mean that those of us making only a median income need to get out of Dodge and head over to one of the boon towns? If you are in a position to do so, it could be the right move. However, if you still have a house to sell in one of the sluggish locales (like I do), waiting it out at home is the best option.
Posted on October 5th, 2007 by onecleardot
Filed under: Life in the U.S.
You mean boom town, right? A boon town would be…in the boonies? Whereas a boom town would be booming?
Actually, I was thinking of the word people used to use to mean bounteous or favorable. I think it comes from the Old French “bon” — good.
I was thinking it was boomtown, too - in fact, it gave me an instant song implant! Let’s ask Wiki:
>A boomtown is a community that experiences fast and quick florish in population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons, such as a proximity to a major metropolitan area, huge construction project, attractive climate, or popular attraction.
Yep, boomtown. I’ve never heard the French usage, though! Hey, I learned something today!
Well, cool. I learned someting as well. I suppose I should have been thinking abot Boomtown Rats and I Hate Mondays.
I still use the word “boon” on its own, but now I see my mind has been transposing it into an inappropriate compound word.