One could argue home prices are the best single metric for determining how great a city is, given how supply and demand work.
But, like happiness, money can’t tell you everything about a city. Instead, look at cities with people kicking down doors to get a chance to live there.
We are talking about the fastest-growing cities in America. These hot pockets of demand are best to snatch up while still possible. We used Saturday Night Science to measure what cities have had the highest one-year growth rate from the Census data.
For reference, America’s annual population growth rate last year was 0.42%, up to 331,097,593 people. Any city growing faster than that beats the US average.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In The United States For 2024
What’s the fastest growing city in America for 2024? Well look at that — Lewisville is the fastest growing large city in America according to the most recent Census data.
In fact, it seems like people have been listening to our rankings as many of the best places in each state are in the top ten here.
So maybe that whole price of houses thing might eventually correlate with city growth as it seems to have done in Lewisville. Guess I should have moved there instead of Durham 6 years ago.
To see exactly how we calculated these rankings, read on. Or if you’re not looking to move where all the cool kids are going, check out:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In America For 2024
/10
Population Now: 125,028.0
Absolute Change: 14,951
Percent Change: 13.6%
More on Lewisville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population Now: 105,797.0
Absolute Change: 6,545
Percent Change: 6.6%
More on Tuscaloosa: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population Now: 202,075.0
Absolute Change: 8,935
Percent Change: 4.6%
More on Frisco: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Proving the basic concepts of economics, Frisco shows that the fastest growing city in the US costs a bunch to live in also — it’s one of the richest cities in the country according to our data.
In terms of population growth, 95.89% growth in a 12 year period comes out to a 5.89% compound annual growth rate. That’s about 8x faster than the US as a whole.
/10
Population Now: 210,520.0
Absolute Change: 8,343
Percent Change: 4.1%
More on Port St. Lucie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population Now: 119,872.0
Absolute Change: 4,645
Percent Change: 4.0%
More on Meridian: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
For Idaho, Meridian counts as a major metropolis. With 119872.0 residents, it ranks among the state’s biggest cities. As it turns out, it also represents a boom town, with its population climbing 73.85% in a 10-year span.
Why are these people flocking to Meridian? Well, quietly, this has become a regional economic hub. The town provides a home for both the state police and Blue Cross of Idaho. It also has major cultural attractions, such as the Meridian Symphony Orchestra.
/10
Population Now: 102,598.0
Absolute Change: 3,717
Percent Change: 3.8%
More on Nampa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population Now: 114,404.0
Absolute Change: 4,003
Percent Change: 3.6%
More on Lakeland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population Now: 120,451.0
Absolute Change: 4,175
Percent Change: 3.6%
More on College Station: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population Now: 196,160.0
Absolute Change: 6,766
Percent Change: 3.6%
More on Mckinney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
There’s a pretty big drop between the 2nd and 3rd fastest growing cities as McKinney has ‘only’ had a 65.32% growth. That’s still good for 6.5x the American average.
/10
Population Now: 198,912.0
Absolute Change: 5,909
Percent Change: 3.1%
More on Cape Coral: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Fastest Growing Cities in The US for 2024
There are a couple of ways to measure how fast a city is growing:
- % Change Year Over Year
- % Change This Decade
- Absolute change in population
We used Saturday Night Science to study option two for this analysis — how much have these cities grown since 2021 through the end of 2022, the most recently available data from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey.
We also limited the analysis to the 317 biggest cities in the US with over 100,000 people.
We looked at the percentage change in the population from 2021 until 2022 for each city using the classic formula:
((B – A) / A) * 100
We then ranked each city from largest change to smallest change. Lewisville, the fastest growing city, had a 13.6% increase in population. Jackson actually had a population loss of 13.582%, good for the slowest in America.
We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the fastest-growing cities in America.
Summary: The Fastest Growing Big Cities in the United States
After measuring the populations of every major city in America for both now and 2010, we are left with Lewisville as the fastest-growing city in the US.
The cities in the United States with the largest single-year change in population are Lewisville, TX, Tuscaloosa, AL, Frisco, TX, Port St. Lucie, FL, Meridian, ID, Nampa, ID, Lakeland, FL, College Station, TX, Mckinney, TX, and Cape Coral, FL.
My plan now? Buy a home in a small city ranked like 20-30. They will be getting much more popular in the years to come.
And for those playing at home, here’s a look at the slowest-growing cities in America:
- Jackson
- Washington
- San Francisco
For more reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Big Cities In The US For 2024
| Rank | City | % Population Change | Population | Population Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewisville, TX | 13.6% | 125,028 | 14,951 |
| 2 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 6.6% | 105,797 | 6,545 |
| 3 | Frisco, TX | 4.6% | 202,075 | 8,935 |
| 4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 4.1% | 210,520 | 8,343 |
| 5 | Meridian, ID | 4.0% | 119,872 | 4,645 |
| 6 | Nampa, ID | 3.8% | 102,598 | 3,717 |
| 7 | Lakeland, FL | 3.6% | 114,404 | 4,003 |
| 8 | College Station, TX | 3.6% | 120,451 | 4,175 |
| 9 | Mckinney, TX | 3.6% | 196,160 | 6,766 |
| 10 | Cape Coral, FL | 3.1% | 198,912 | 5,909 |
| 11 | Murfreesboro, TN | 3.0% | 153,487 | 4,517 |
| 12 | Waco, TX | 2.7% | 140,545 | 3,745 |
| 13 | Concord, NC | 2.7% | 105,335 | 2,769 |
| 14 | Clarksville, TN | 2.7% | 167,882 | 4,364 |
| 15 | Gainesville, FL | 2.6% | 142,414 | 3,673 |
| 16 | Surprise, AZ | 2.6% | 145,591 | 3,716 |
| 17 | Allen, TX | 2.6% | 105,444 | 2,666 |
| 18 | Menifee, CA | 2.6% | 103,680 | 2,591 |
| 19 | Killeen, TX | 2.4% | 153,708 | 3,626 |
| 20 | Palm Bay, FL | 2.4% | 121,513 | 2,804 |
| 21 | Huntsville, AL | 2.4% | 215,025 | 4,944 |
| 22 | Round Rock, TX | 2.3% | 120,465 | 2,730 |
| 23 | Irvine, CA | 2.2% | 304,527 | 6,659 |
| 24 | Edinburg, TX | 2.2% | 100,964 | 2,205 |
| 25 | Roseville, CA | 2.2% | 148,879 | 3,192 |
| 26 | Sioux Falls, SD | 2.2% | 193,401 | 4,143 |
| 27 | Henderson, NV | 2.2% | 318,063 | 6,813 |
| 28 | Tampa, FL | 2.2% | 388,768 | 8,292 |
| 29 | Reno, NV | 2.0% | 265,196 | 5,283 |
| 30 | Eugene, OR | 2.0% | 176,755 | 3,477 |
| 31 | Gilbert, AZ | 1.9% | 267,267 | 5,018 |
| 32 | Cary, NC | 1.9% | 174,880 | 3,277 |
| 33 | Rio Rancho, NM | 1.9% | 104,351 | 1,948 |
| 34 | Peoria, AZ | 1.9% | 191,292 | 3,559 |
| 35 | Fargo, ND | 1.9% | 127,319 | 2,340 |
| 36 | Richardson, TX | 1.9% | 118,063 | 2,159 |
| 37 | Denton, TX | 1.8% | 142,262 | 2,558 |
| 38 | Clovis, CA | 1.8% | 120,607 | 2,119 |
| 39 | Durham, NC | 1.8% | 284,094 | 4,988 |
| 40 | Fort Worth, TX | 1.8% | 924,663 | 16,194 |
| 41 | North Las Vegas, NV | 1.7% | 264,022 | 4,384 |
| 42 | Tallahassee, FL | 1.6% | 198,259 | 3,202 |
| 43 | Boulder, CO | 1.6% | 106,598 | 1,668 |
| 44 | Las Vegas, NV | 1.6% | 644,835 | 10,049 |
| 45 | Orlando, FL | 1.6% | 307,738 | 4,770 |
| 46 | Norman, OK | 1.6% | 127,701 | 1,956 |
| 47 | Spokane Valley, WA | 1.5% | 103,761 | 1,583 |
| 48 | Pearland, TX | 1.5% | 124,478 | 1,869 |
| 49 | Berkeley, CA | 1.5% | 121,385 | 1,778 |
| 50 | West Palm Beach, FL | 1.5% | 117,588 | 1,711 |
| 51 | Columbia, MO | 1.5% | 126,172 | 1,830 |
| 52 | League City, TX | 1.5% | 113,469 | 1,622 |
| 53 | Austin, TX | 1.4% | 958,202 | 13,544 |
| 54 | Tyler, TX | 1.4% | 106,440 | 1,495 |
| 55 | Bakersfield, CA | 1.4% | 404,321 | 5,565 |
| 56 | New Haven, CT | 1.4% | 135,736 | 1,862 |
| 57 | Charleston, SC | 1.4% | 149,960 | 2,032 |
| 58 | Jacksonville, FL | 1.3% | 950,203 | 12,513 |
| 59 | Knoxville, TN | 1.3% | 191,857 | 2,518 |
| 60 | Midland, TX | 1.3% | 132,490 | 1,725 |
| 61 | Broken Arrow, OK | 1.3% | 114,237 | 1,486 |
| 62 | Olathe, KS | 1.3% | 142,114 | 1,775 |
| 63 | Vancouver, WA | 1.3% | 190,700 | 2,369 |
| 64 | Las Cruces, NM | 1.2% | 111,273 | 1,339 |
| 65 | Billings, MT | 1.2% | 117,093 | 1,404 |
| 66 | Tempe, AZ | 1.2% | 181,005 | 2,143 |
| 67 | Fort Collins, CO | 1.2% | 168,758 | 1,970 |
| 68 | Seattle, WA | 1.2% | 734,603 | 8,549 |
| 69 | Charlotte, NC | 1.2% | 875,045 | 10,174 |
| 70 | Oklahoma City, OK | 1.2% | 681,088 | 7,905 |
| 71 | Chandler, AZ | 1.2% | 275,618 | 3,179 |
| 72 | Madison, WI | 1.2% | 268,516 | 3,069 |
| 73 | Phoenix, AZ | 1.2% | 1,609,456 | 18,337 |
| 74 | Boise City, ID | 1.1% | 234,192 | 2,655 |
| 75 | Mesa, AZ | 1.1% | 503,390 | 5,638 |
| 76 | Victorville, CA | 1.1% | 134,417 | 1,493 |
| 77 | Salt Lake City, UT | 1.1% | 201,269 | 2,116 |
| 78 | North Charleston, SC | 1.1% | 115,755 | 1,213 |
| 79 | Sparks, NV | 1.1% | 108,025 | 1,125 |
| 80 | Lubbock, TX | 1.0% | 258,190 | 2,653 |
| 81 | Aurora, CO | 1.0% | 387,349 | 3,853 |
| 82 | Davie, FL | 1.0% | 105,821 | 1,039 |
| 83 | Plano, TX | 1.0% | 284,948 | 2,767 |
| 84 | Spokane, WA | 1.0% | 227,922 | 2,213 |
| 85 | Glendale, AZ | 1.0% | 248,083 | 2,398 |
| 86 | Visalia, CA | 1.0% | 141,466 | 1,357 |
| 87 | Sacramento, CA | 1.0% | 523,600 | 4,995 |
| 88 | Lee’s Summit, MO | 0.9% | 101,728 | 956 |
| 89 | Rochester, MN | 0.9% | 120,848 | 1,116 |
| 90 | Cambridge, MA | 0.9% | 117,962 | 1,070 |
| 91 | Colorado Springs, CO | 0.9% | 479,612 | 4,330 |
| 92 | Thornton, CO | 0.9% | 141,799 | 1,261 |
| 93 | Salem, OR | 0.9% | 175,754 | 1,561 |
| 94 | Chesapeake, VA | 0.9% | 249,377 | 2,205 |
| 95 | Tacoma, WA | 0.9% | 219,234 | 1,902 |
| 96 | Greeley, CO | 0.9% | 107,949 | 935 |
| 97 | High Point, NC | 0.9% | 114,120 | 972 |
| 98 | Bellevue, WA | 0.8% | 150,606 | 1,241 |
| 99 | Wilmington, NC | 0.8% | 116,933 | 957 |
| 100 | Scottsdale, AZ | 0.8% | 240,537 | 1,852 |
