Is being in an area of Illinois that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Chicago and Aurora, while others want peace and quiet like in Carmi and South Barrington, 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 Illinois 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 Prairie 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 Illinois For 2025
What’s the fastest growing city in Illinois for 2025? Based on the most recent ACS data, Volo ranks as the fastest-growing city in Illinois. If you happen to be a resident of Volo, 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 Illinois grow like weeds.
For more Illinois state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Dangerous Cities In Illinois
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Illinois For 2025
1. Volo
/10
Population: 6,398
Population 2010: 1,859
Percent Growth 244.2%
Absolute Growth: 4,539
More on Volo:
2. Pingree Grove
/10
Population: 10,576
Population 2010: 3,780
Percent Growth 179.8%
Absolute Growth: 6,796
More on Pingree Grove: Data
3. Hampshire
/10
Population: 8,351
Population 2010: 5,101
Percent Growth 63.7%
Absolute Growth: 3,250
More on Hampshire: Data
4. Manhattan
/10
Population: 10,315
Population 2010: 6,511
Percent Growth 58.4%
Absolute Growth: 3,804
More on Manhattan: Data
5. Yorkville
/10
Population: 22,350
Population 2010: 15,065
Percent Growth 48.4%
Absolute Growth: 7,285
More on Yorkville: Data
6. Gilberts
/10
Population: 8,389
Population 2010: 5,866
Percent Growth 43.0%
Absolute Growth: 2,523
More on Gilberts: Data
7. Mahomet
/10
Population: 9,755
Population 2010: 6,888
Percent Growth 41.6%
Absolute Growth: 2,867
More on Mahomet: Data
8. Savoy
/10
Population: 8,807
Population 2010: 6,388
Percent Growth 37.9%
Absolute Growth: 2,419
More on Savoy: Data
9. Montgomery
/10
Population: 21,205
Population 2010: 15,957
Percent Growth 32.9%
Absolute Growth: 5,248
More on Montgomery: Data
10. Minooka
/10
Population: 12,632
Population 2010: 9,522
Percent Growth 32.7%
Absolute Growth: 3,110
More on Minooka: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Prairie State for 2025
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 2023)
We ranked all 330 Illinois cities with a population over 4,000 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 Prairie 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 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Illinois.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Illinois with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Illinois, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Illinois are led by Volo which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Illinois are Volo, Pingree Grove, Hampshire, Manhattan, Yorkville, Gilberts, Mahomet, Savoy, Montgomery, and Minooka.
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):
- East St. Louis
- Riverdale
- Harvey
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
- Safest Places In Illinois
- Worst Places To Live In Illinois
Fastest Growing Places In Illinois For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volo | 6,398 | 1,859 | 244.2% | 4,539 |
| 2 | Pingree Grove | 10,576 | 3,780 | 179.8% | 6,796 |
| 3 | Hampshire | 8,351 | 5,101 | 63.7% | 3,250 |
| 4 | Manhattan | 10,315 | 6,511 | 58.4% | 3,804 |
| 5 | Yorkville | 22,350 | 15,065 | 48.4% | 7,285 |
| 6 | Gilberts | 8,389 | 5,866 | 43.0% | 2,523 |
| 7 | Mahomet | 9,755 | 6,888 | 41.6% | 2,867 |
| 8 | Savoy | 8,807 | 6,388 | 37.9% | 2,419 |
| 9 | Montgomery | 21,205 | 15,957 | 32.9% | 5,248 |
| 10 | Minooka | 12,632 | 9,522 | 32.7% | 3,110 |