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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 Los Angeles and San Diego, while others want peace and quiet like in Dos Palos and Buellton, 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 California 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 Golden State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in California for 2022 according to the most recent census data:
What's the fastest growing city in California for 2022? Based on the most recent ACS data, Dublin ranks as the fastest growing city in California. If you happen to be a resident of Dublin, 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 California are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in California or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more California state reading:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In California For 2022
1. Dublin
/10
Population: 63,856
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 42,657
Percent Growth 49.7%
Absolute Growth: 21,199
More on Dublin: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Beaumont
/10
Population: 48,272
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 32,847
Percent Growth 47.0%
Absolute Growth: 15,425
More on Beaumont: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Lathrop
/10
Population: 23,863
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 3)
Population 2010: 17,040
Percent Growth 40.0%
Absolute Growth: 6,823
More on Lathrop: Homes For Sale | Data
4. Imperial
/10
Population: 18,631
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 3)
Population 2010: 13,406
Percent Growth 39.0%
Absolute Growth: 5,225
More on Imperial: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Irvine
/10
Population: 272,694
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 199,117
Percent Growth 37.0%
Absolute Growth: 73,577
More on Irvine: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Rio Vista
/10
Population: 9,407
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 2)
Population 2010: 6,874
Percent Growth 36.8%
Absolute Growth: 2,533
More on Rio Vista: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Brentwood
/10
Population: 63,013
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 46,283
Percent Growth 36.1%
Absolute Growth: 16,730
More on Brentwood: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Lake Elsinore
/10
Population: 64,201
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 4)
Population 2010: 48,644
Percent Growth 32.0%
Absolute Growth: 15,557
More on Lake Elsinore: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Coalinga
/10
Population: 17,252
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 13,086
Percent Growth 31.8%
Absolute Growth: 4,166
More on Coalinga: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Menifee
/10
Population: 92,968
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 3)
Population 2010: 72,494
Percent Growth 28.2%
Absolute Growth: 20,474
More on Menifee: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Golden 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 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]
Here's a graph of the cities in California with the largest percent increase in population:
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 Dublin 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):
- Paradise
- Avenal
- Susanville
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In California
- Safest Places In California
- Worst Places To Live In California
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In California For 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | 49.7% |
| 2 | Beaumont | 47.0% |
| 3 | Lathrop | 40.0% |
| 4 | Imperial | 39.0% |
| 5 | Irvine | 37.0% |
| 6 | Rio Vista | 36.8% |
| 7 | Brentwood | 36.1% |
| 8 | Lake Elsinore | 32.0% |
| 9 | Coalinga | 31.8% |
| 10 | Menifee | 28.2% |
