A decade ago, business leaders would welcome such news. But Douglas County, southeast and southwest of Denver, is growing so fast that the county is hard-pressed to keep up with the influx of people and companies. "I think I would rather see less growth," Peter Neukirch, president of the Southeast Business Partnership, told GlobeSt.com. "I would like to see it moderate a bit. It's come so fast and furious over the past 10 years that it has caused a number of headaches." Overcrowded schools and housing demands are cause for concern as more companies move into the area and build more office buildings, he says.

Local developer Jeff Kirkendall says developers are not welcome in Douglas County. "I think there's growth potential in Douglas County, but I think the county government does not welcome it," says Kirkendall of Developing Equities Group. "And the population as a whole is against growth. That makes it difficult to develop anything."

The report by Demographic Daily puts Douglas County behind Forsyth County, Ga., which is northeast of Atlanta, after analyzing data of 3,141 counties and independent cities across the country. Demographics Daily has used an 11-part formula from data garnered from the US Census Bureau and US Bureau of Economic Analysis.