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Is being in an area that's growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask. Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Birmingham and Montgomery, while others want peace and quiet like in Rainsville and Glencoe, thank you very much.
But today we're going to put opinions aside and just look at the cold hard facts -- over the past five years, which cities in Alabama have the grown the fastest.
After getting knee deep in the Census's American Community Survey, we emerged with this set of cities in the Heart Of Dixie that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Alabama for 2021 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Alabama For 2021
What's the fastest growing city in Alabama for 2021? Based on the most recent ACS data, Pike Road ranks as the fastest growing city in Alabama. If you happen to be a resident of Pike Road, you're probably not too surprised to find it on our list.
If you're surprised--and you're wondering why these places are kind of a big deal--keep reading. We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Alabama are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Alabama or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Alabama state reading:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Alabama For 2021
1. Pike Road
/10
Population: 9,320
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,072
Percent Growth 83.8%
Absolute Growth: 4,248
More on Pike Road: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Chelsea
/10
Population: 13,098
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 9,202
Percent Growth 42.3%
Absolute Growth: 3,896
More on Chelsea: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Fairhope
/10
Population: 21,083
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 14,927
Percent Growth 41.2%
Absolute Growth: 6,156
More on Fairhope: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Foley
/10
Population: 18,533
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 13,570
Percent Growth 36.6%
Absolute Growth: 4,963
More on Foley: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Gulf Shores
/10
Population: 12,267
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 9,035
Percent Growth 35.8%
Absolute Growth: 3,232
More on Gulf Shores: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Calera
/10
Population: 13,856
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population 2010: 10,374
Percent Growth 33.6%
Absolute Growth: 3,482
More on Calera: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Spanish Fort
/10
Population: 8,601
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 6,624
Percent Growth 29.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,977
More on Spanish Fort: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Robertsdale
/10
Population: 6,473
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 5,052
Percent Growth 28.1%
Absolute Growth: 1,421
More on Robertsdale: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Wetumpka
/10
Population: 8,243
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 6,480
Percent Growth 27.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,763
More on Wetumpka: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Auburn
/10
Population: 64,054
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Population 2010: 51,057
Percent Growth 25.5%
Absolute Growth: 12,997
More on Auburn: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Heart Of Dixie for 2021
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2018)
We ranked all 103 Alabama cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest growing city in the Heart Of Dixie.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population - Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
Here's a graph of the cities in Alabama with the largest percent increase in population:
These Places Grew Up So Fast In Alabama, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Alabama are led by Pike Road which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
It'll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We'll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Tuskegee
- Selma
- Monroeville
For more Alabama reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Alabama For 2021
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pike Road | 83.8% |
| 2 | Chelsea | 42.3% |
| 3 | Fairhope | 41.2% |
| 4 | Foley | 36.6% |
| 5 | Gulf Shores | 35.8% |
| 6 | Calera | 33.6% |
| 7 | Spanish Fort | 29.8% |
| 8 | Robertsdale | 28.1% |
| 9 | Wetumpka | 27.2% |
| 10 | Auburn | 25.5% |
