Is being in an area of Arizona that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Phoenix and Tucson, while others want peace and quiet like in Cave Creek and Guadalupe, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Arizona have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Grand Canyon State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Arizona For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Arizona for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Queen Creek ranks as the fastest-growing city in Arizona. If you happen to be a resident of Queen Creek, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Arizona grow like weeds.
For more Arizona state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Arizona
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arizona
- Most Dangerous Cities In Arizona
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Arizona For 2026
1. Queen Creek
/10
Population: 71,867
Population 2010: 23,055
Percent Growth 211.7%
Absolute Growth: 48,812
More on Queen Creek: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Maricopa
/10
Population: 67,163
Population 2010: 34,809
Percent Growth 92.9%
Absolute Growth: 32,354
More on Maricopa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Goodyear
/10
Population: 107,645
Population 2010: 57,869
Percent Growth 86.0%
Absolute Growth: 49,776
More on Goodyear: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Marana
/10
Population: 56,938
Population 2010: 31,443
Percent Growth 81.1%
Absolute Growth: 25,495
More on Marana: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Sahuarita
/10
Population: 35,862
Population 2010: 21,607
Percent Growth 66.0%
Absolute Growth: 14,255
More on Sahuarita: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. San Luis
/10
Population: 37,337
Population 2010: 23,829
Percent Growth 56.7%
Absolute Growth: 13,508
More on San Luis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Coolidge
/10
Population: 16,636
Population 2010: 10,817
Percent Growth 53.8%
Absolute Growth: 5,819
More on Coolidge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Surprise
/10
Population: 154,948
Population 2010: 103,767
Percent Growth 49.3%
Absolute Growth: 51,181
More on Surprise: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Gilbert
/10
Population: 280,262
Population 2010: 195,046
Percent Growth 43.7%
Absolute Growth: 85,216
More on Gilbert: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Casa Grande
/10
Population: 60,905
Population 2010: 43,050
Percent Growth 41.5%
Absolute Growth: 17,855
More on Casa Grande: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Grand Canyon State for 2026
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since 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 2024)
We ranked all 56 Arizona 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 Grand Canyon State.
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]
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in Arizona.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Arizona with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Arizona, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Arizona are led by Queen Creek which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Arizona are Queen Creek, Maricopa, Goodyear, Marana, Sahuarita, San Luis, Coolidge, Surprise, Gilbert, and Casa Grande.
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):
- Winslow
- Douglas
- Guadalupe
For more Arizona reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Arizona For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Creek | 71,867 | 23,055 | 211.7% | 48,812 |
| 2 | Maricopa | 67,163 | 34,809 | 92.9% | 32,354 |
| 3 | Goodyear | 107,645 | 57,869 | 86.0% | 49,776 |
| 4 | Marana | 56,938 | 31,443 | 81.1% | 25,495 |
| 5 | Sahuarita | 35,862 | 21,607 | 66.0% | 14,255 |
| 6 | San Luis | 37,337 | 23,829 | 56.7% | 13,508 |
| 7 | Coolidge | 16,636 | 10,817 | 53.8% | 5,819 |
| 8 | Surprise | 154,948 | 103,767 | 49.3% | 51,181 |
| 9 | Gilbert | 280,262 | 195,046 | 43.7% | 85,216 |
| 10 | Casa Grande | 60,905 | 43,050 | 41.5% | 17,855 |