Is being in an area of California that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Los Angeles and San Diego, while others want peace and quiet like in Big Bear Lake and Jackson, 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 California 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 Golden State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
105.7% growth since 2010 · 18,012 net new residents
Located in
San Joaquin County, CaliforniaLathrop is a city located in San Joaquin County, California, United States. The 2010 United States Census reported Lathrop-s population was 18,023. The city is located in Northern California at the intersection of Interstate 5 and SR 120.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
71.3% growth since 2010 · 23,419 net new residents
Located in
Riverside County, CaliforniaBeaumont is a city in Riverside County, California, United States located at a half mile elevation in the pass area south of Southern California’s highest peak, San Gorgonio Mountain, and north of San Jacinto Peak.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
66.0% growth since 2010 · 28,146 net new residents
Located in
Alameda County, CaliforniaDublin is a suburban city of the East Bay and Tri-Valley regions of Alameda County, California, United States. Located along the north side of Interstate 580 at the intersection with Interstate 680, roughly 35 miles east of downtown San Francisco, 23 miles east of downtown Oakland, and 31 miles north of downtown San Jose, it was named after the city of Dublin in Ireland. Dublin is the second fastest-growing city in the state of California, behind only Santa Clarita. The population was 46,063, and the 2013 estimate at 49,890. Dublin is home to the headquarters of Sybase, Inc, CallidusCloud, Ross Stores, Tria Beauty, Medley Health, Challenge Dairy and Arlen Ness.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
59.9% growth since 2010 · 8,024 net new residents
Located in
Imperial County, CaliforniaImperial is a city in Imperial County, California. Imperial is located 4 miles north of El Centro. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 14,758. It is part of the El Centro metropolitan area. Nearby recreation facilities transform the desert into a popular Valley tourist destination due to availability of activities. Three year-round golf courses are within minutes of Imperial. The sand dunes provide a place for campers and dune buggy enthusiasts. This region is well known for its abundance of bird species such as dove, quail, ducks, pheasant and geese.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
56.5% growth since 2010 · 112,573 net new residents
Located in
Orange County, CaliforniaIrvine is a master-planned city in Orange County, California, United States. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 1971. The 66-square-mile city had a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census; in 2016 the city’s population was 258,386.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
52.2% growth since 2010 · 37,811 net new residents
Located in
Riverside County, CaliforniaMenifee, California is a city in Southwestern Riverside County, California, United States and part of the Los Angeles Combined Statistical Area. The city is also centrally located in the heart of Southern California between San Diego County and Los Angeles County. Almost 9 miles north of Temecula and bordering the city of Murrieta, Menifee is roughly 46 square miles in size and has an elevation of 1,424 feet. The incorporated City of Menifee includes the communities of Sun City, Quail Valley, Paloma Valley and portions of Romoland.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
49.0% growth since 2010 · 23,817 net new residents
Located in
Riverside County, CaliforniaLake Elsinore is a city in western Riverside County, California, United States. Established as a city in 1888, it is on the shore of Lake Elsinore, a natural freshwater lake about 3,000 acres in size. The city has grown from a small resort town in the late 19th century and early 20th century to a population of 51,821 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
47.0% growth since 2010 · 3,228 net new residents
Located in
Solano County, CaliforniaRio Vista is a city located in the eastern end of Solano County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area-either in the East Bay or the North Bay, depending on what definition is used-on the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento River Delta region. The population was 7,360 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
40.9% growth since 2010 · 18,925 net new residents
Located in
Contra Costa County, CaliforniaBrentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 51,481 as of 2010, an increase of 121 percent from 23,302 at the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
40.2% growth since 2010 · 15,185 net new residents
Located in
Placer County, CaliforniaLincoln is a city in Placer County, California, United States, part of the Sacramento metropolitan area. Located in an area of rapid suburban development, it grew 282.1 percent between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest growing city over 10,000 people in the U.S. Its 2015 population was estimated to be 45,837.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is California’s statewide median.
On the map
Where California’s growth is happening
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Golden 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 426 California 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 Golden 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 California.
The full plate
Fastest Growing Places In California For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lathrop | 35,052 | 17,040 | 105.7% | 18,012 |
| 2 | Beaumont | 56,266 | 32,847 | 71.3% | 23,419 |
| 3 | Dublin | 70,803 | 42,657 | 66.0% | 28,146 |
| 4 | Imperial | 21,430 | 13,406 | 59.9% | 8,024 |
| 5 | Irvine | 311,690 | 199,117 | 56.5% | 112,573 |
| 6 | Menifee | 110,305 | 72,494 | 52.2% | 37,811 |
| 7 | Lake Elsinore | 72,461 | 48,644 | 49.0% | 23,817 |
| 8 | Rio Vista | 10,102 | 6,874 | 47.0% | 3,228 |
| 9 | Brentwood | 65,208 | 46,283 | 40.9% | 18,925 |
| 10 | Lincoln | 52,956 | 37,771 | 40.2% | 15,185 |
| 11 | Emeryville | 13,081 | 9,393 | 39.3% | 3,688 |
| 12 | Calimesa | 10,902 | 7,869 | 38.5% | 3,033 |
| 13 | Los Banos | 47,593 | 34,548 | 37.8% | 13,045 |
| 14 | Manteca | 89,043 | 64,959 | 37.1% | 24,084 |
| 15 | Roseville | 155,955 | 113,820 | 37.0% | 42,135 |
| 16 | Clovis | 124,725 | 91,166 | 36.8% | 33,559 |
| 17 | Rocklin | 73,327 | 54,276 | 35.1% | 19,051 |
| 18 | Oakley | 45,183 | 33,496 | 34.9% | 11,687 |
| 19 | Desert Hot Springs | 33,200 | 24,675 | 34.5% | 8,525 |
| 20 | San Jacinto | 55,180 | 41,203 | 33.9% | 13,977 |
| 21 | Fowler | 7,094 | 5,305 | 33.7% | 1,789 |
| 22 | Santa Clarita | 230,221 | 172,253 | 33.7% | 57,968 |
| 23 | Kerman | 16,815 | 12,708 | 32.3% | 4,107 |
| 24 | Coalinga | 17,203 | 13,086 | 31.5% | 4,117 |
| 25 | Greenfield | 20,232 | 15,480 | 30.7% | 4,752 |
| 26 | Shafter | 21,193 | 16,378 | 29.4% | 4,815 |
| 27 | Rancho Cordova | 81,849 | 63,297 | 29.3% | 18,552 |
| 28 | Patterson | 24,693 | 19,110 | 29.2% | 5,583 |
| 29 | San Ramon | 85,993 | 66,822 | 28.7% | 19,171 |
| 30 | Oroville | 19,752 | 15,369 | 28.5% | 4,383 |
| 31 | Adelanto | 37,964 | 29,764 | 27.6% | 8,200 |
| 32 | Victorville | 137,627 | 108,088 | 27.3% | 29,539 |
| 33 | Elk Grove | 179,155 | 141,200 | 26.9% | 37,955 |
| 34 | Indio | 91,950 | 72,486 | 26.9% | 19,464 |
| 35 | Hollister | 43,811 | 34,539 | 26.8% | 9,272 |
| 36 | Guadalupe | 8,566 | 6,770 | 26.5% | 1,796 |
| 37 | Perris | 80,511 | 63,644 | 26.5% | 16,867 |
| 38 | Gilroy | 59,004 | 46,807 | 26.1% | 12,197 |
| 39 | Newman | 12,316 | 9,806 | 25.6% | 2,510 |
| 40 | Tulare | 70,945 | 56,938 | 24.6% | 14,007 |
| 41 | Bakersfield | 411,986 | 331,868 | 24.1% | 80,118 |
| 42 | Morgan Hill | 45,425 | 36,630 | 24.0% | 8,795 |
| 43 | Pittsburg | 76,257 | 61,723 | 23.5% | 14,534 |
| 44 | Brea | 47,469 | 38,427 | 23.5% | 9,042 |
| 45 | American Canyon | 21,691 | 17,692 | 22.6% | 3,999 |
| 46 | Dinuba | 25,475 | 20,823 | 22.3% | 4,652 |
| 47 | Tracy | 96,966 | 79,416 | 22.1% | 17,550 |
| 48 | Hughson | 7,648 | 6,267 | 22.0% | 1,381 |
| 49 | Wildomar | 37,277 | 30,637 | 21.7% | 6,640 |
| 50 | Folsom | 83,916 | 69,068 | 21.5% | 14,848 |
| 51 | San Marcos | 94,882 | 78,127 | 21.4% | 16,755 |
| 52 | Visalia | 143,939 | 119,312 | 20.6% | 24,627 |
| 53 | Milpitas | 78,578 | 65,150 | 20.6% | 13,428 |
| 54 | Chula Vista | 276,375 | 229,614 | 20.4% | 46,761 |
| 55 | Mendota | 12,577 | 10,459 | 20.3% | 2,118 |
| 56 | Chico | 102,188 | 85,130 | 20.0% | 17,058 |
| 57 | Porterville | 63,157 | 52,762 | 19.7% | 10,395 |
| 58 | Hemet | 91,326 | 76,403 | 19.5% | 14,923 |
| 59 | West Sacramento | 54,927 | 45,961 | 19.5% | 8,966 |
| 60 | Merced | 91,953 | 77,080 | 19.3% | 14,873 |
| 61 | Chino | 92,652 | 77,729 | 19.2% | 14,923 |
| 62 | Dos Palos | 5,765 | 4,904 | 17.6% | 861 |
| 63 | Ripon | 16,201 | 13,792 | 17.5% | 2,409 |
| 64 | Murrieta | 112,064 | 95,668 | 17.1% | 16,396 |
| 65 | Orland | 8,357 | 7,141 | 17.0% | 1,216 |
| 66 | Antioch | 116,477 | 99,717 | 16.8% | 16,760 |
| 67 | Santa Maria | 110,462 | 94,645 | 16.7% | 15,817 |
| 68 | Ione | 9,156 | 7,845 | 16.7% | 1,311 |
| 69 | Hesperia | 100,775 | 86,405 | 16.6% | 14,370 |
| 70 | Atwater | 32,162 | 27,587 | 16.6% | 4,575 |
| 71 | Fairfield | 120,785 | 103,698 | 16.5% | 17,087 |
| 72 | Temecula | 111,167 | 95,829 | 16.0% | 15,338 |
| 73 | Santa Clara | 130,256 | 112,466 | 15.8% | 17,790 |
| 74 | Solvang | 6,034 | 5,218 | 15.6% | 816 |
| 75 | McFarland | 14,222 | 12,302 | 15.6% | 1,920 |
| 76 | Riverbank | 25,166 | 21,778 | 15.6% | 3,388 |
| 77 | Marina | 22,563 | 19,529 | 15.5% | 3,034 |
| 78 | Oakdale | 23,194 | 20,076 | 15.5% | 3,118 |
| 79 | Kingsburg | 12,755 | 11,041 | 15.5% | 1,714 |
| 80 | Mountain View | 83,732 | 72,510 | 15.5% | 11,222 |
| 81 | Winters | 7,583 | 6,572 | 15.4% | 1,011 |
| 82 | Santa Fe Springs | 18,871 | 16,376 | 15.2% | 2,495 |
| 83 | Sacramento | 528,706 | 459,511 | 15.1% | 69,195 |
| 84 | Live Oak | 9,347 | 8,129 | 15.0% | 1,218 |
| 85 | Madera | 67,831 | 59,006 | 15.0% | 8,825 |
| 86 | Livingston | 14,606 | 12,733 | 14.7% | 1,873 |
| 87 | Carlsbad | 114,373 | 99,753 | 14.7% | 14,620 |
| 88 | Sanger | 26,699 | 23,370 | 14.2% | 3,329 |
| 89 | Fillmore | 16,816 | 14,721 | 14.2% | 2,095 |
| 90 | Hanford | 59,754 | 52,315 | 14.2% | 7,439 |
| 91 | Hercules | 26,302 | 23,061 | 14.1% | 3,241 |
| 92 | Williams | 5,585 | 4,906 | 13.8% | 679 |
| 93 | Firebaugh | 8,392 | 7,373 | 13.8% | 1,019 |
| 94 | Gridley | 7,330 | 6,449 | 13.7% | 881 |
| 95 | Anderson | 11,255 | 9,910 | 13.6% | 1,345 |
| 96 | Oakland | 439,418 | 386,909 | 13.6% | 52,509 |
| 97 | Coachella | 43,307 | 38,144 | 13.5% | 5,163 |
| 98 | Los Gatos | 32,786 | 28,878 | 13.5% | 3,908 |
| 99 | Lemoore | 27,102 | 23,901 | 13.4% | 3,201 |
| 100 | Fontana | 214,169 | 189,466 | 13.0% | 24,703 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS, 2010-current. 426 California cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In California, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in California are led by Lathrop which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in California are Lathrop, Beaumont, Dublin, Imperial, Irvine, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Rio Vista, Brentwood, and Lincoln.
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!
