BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Baldwin County metro area is not only the fastest growing metropolitan in Alabama. It’s top 10 in the nation.

The mayors of Daphne, Foley and Fairhope explained what makes their cities so popular.

“For the schools, for the bay, it’s a great place to raise your family,” Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune said. “Well, now the word has gotten out to the rest of the country, so now you’re seeing a lot more influx of people coming outside the state.”

Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich said Foley is starting to become a hotspot.

“Well we are near the beaches,” Hellmich said. “We are close to large cities. It’s just a blend of a small town with amenities of a city a lot larger than this because of the tourists.”

Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan said Fairhope is an attractive place to live.

“Who wouldn’t want to live in Fairhope? It’s beautiful,” Sullivan said. “We offer a quality of life that most people are looking for. It’s a safe walkable community. We have great schools; we have great access to healthcare so all the things people are looking for.”

The Daphne, Foley and Fairhope metro had a 2.8% annual growth rate, and Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune sees it going up even more within the next year. He and his team are preparing for it.

“It’s also one of those things that you are really working hard to maintain the quality of life,” LeJeune said. “The infrastructure, we’ve got three really big roadway projects going on right now.”

Daphne’s population rose from 28,000 to 30,000. Fairhope went from 23,800 to 25,000 residents, and Foley grew the most from 20,000 to 26,000.