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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 Little Rock and Fort Smith, while others want peace and quiet like in White Hall and Walnut Ridge, 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 Arkansas 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 Natural State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Arkansas for 2022 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Arkansas For 2022
What's the fastest growing city in Arkansas for 2022? Based on the most recent ACS data, Centerton ranks as the fastest growing city in Arkansas. If you happen to be a resident of Centerton, 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 Arkansas are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Arkansas or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Arkansas state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Arkansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arkansas
- Most Dangerous Places in Arkansas
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Arkansas For 2022
1. Centerton
/10
Population: 15,345
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 8,314
Percent Growth 84.6%
Absolute Growth: 7,031
More on Centerton: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Bentonville
/10
Population: 52,070
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 32,685
Percent Growth 59.3%
Absolute Growth: 19,385
More on Bentonville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Prairie Grove
/10
Population: 6,236
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,212
Percent Growth 48.1%
Absolute Growth: 2,024
More on Prairie Grove: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Ward
/10
Population: 5,195
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population 2010: 3,832
Percent Growth 35.6%
Absolute Growth: 1,363
More on Ward: Homes For Sale | Data
5. Pea Ridge
/10
Population: 5,960
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 4,414
Percent Growth 35.0%
Absolute Growth: 1,546
More on Pea Ridge: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Lowell
/10
Population: 9,433
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 7,001
Percent Growth 34.7%
Absolute Growth: 2,432
More on Lowell: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Bryant
/10
Population: 20,563
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population 2010: 15,757
Percent Growth 30.5%
Absolute Growth: 4,806
More on Bryant: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Rogers
/10
Population: 67,787
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 53,207
Percent Growth 27.4%
Absolute Growth: 14,580
More on Rogers: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Greenbrier
/10
Population: 5,592
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,405
Percent Growth 26.9%
Absolute Growth: 1,187
More on Greenbrier: Homes For Sale | Data
10. Benton
/10
Population: 36,360
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Population 2010: 29,118
Percent Growth 24.9%
Absolute Growth: 7,242
More on Benton: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Natural State for 2022
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 63 Arkansas 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 Natural 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]
Here's a graph of the cities in Arkansas with the largest percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Arkansas, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Arkansas are led by Centerton 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):
- Helena-West Helena
- Pine Bluff
- Osceola
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Arkansas
- Safest Places In Arkansas
- Worst Places To Live In Arkansas
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Arkansas For 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centerton | 84.6% |
| 2 | Bentonville | 59.3% |
| 3 | Prairie Grove | 48.1% |
| 4 | Ward | 35.6% |
| 5 | Pea Ridge | 35.0% |
| 6 | Lowell | 34.7% |
| 7 | Bryant | 30.5% |
| 8 | Rogers | 27.4% |
| 9 | Greenbrier | 26.9% |
| 10 | Benton | 24.9% |
