boom town

/ˌbum ˈtaʊn/

Other forms: boom towns

When a community's population and industry suddenly grow much larger, you can describe it as a boom town. In the 1800s, the Gold Rush turned San Francisco into a boom town.

Industry is usually the cause of a regular town turning into a boom town. The discovery of oil, the construction of a factory, or a port becoming active are all events that can create boom towns. The population increases as people stream into the town seeking good jobs or hoping to strike it rich in a gold mine. The term comes from the "sudden, rapid growth" or "burst of activity" meanings of boom.

Definitions of boom town

1. noun

   a town enjoying sudden prosperity
   type of:

   town

   an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city