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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 Chicago and Aurora, while others want peace and quiet like in Robbins and Staunton, 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 Illinois 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 Prairie State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Illinois for 2020 according to the most recent census data:
What's the fastest growing city in Illinois for 2020? Based on the most recent ACS data, Pingree Grove ranks as the fastest growing city in Illinois. If you happen to be a resident of Pingree Grove, 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 Illinois are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Illinois or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Illinois state reading:
- 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 2020
/10
Population: 7,337
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 3,780
Percent Growth 94.1%
Absolute Growth: 3,557
More on Pingree Grove: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 8,654
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 6,388
Percent Growth 35.5%
Absolute Growth: 2,266
More on Savoy: Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 7,742
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 5,866
Percent Growth 32.0%
Absolute Growth: 1,876
More on Gilberts: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Gilberts is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,279 at the 2000 census. The population has grown to 6,879 according to the 2010 census. The population continues to grow at rapid rates.
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Population: 6,840
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 5,382
Percent Growth 27.1%
Absolute Growth: 1,458
More on Hillsboro: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Hillsboro is a city in Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,207 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County.
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Population: 19,145
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 15,065
Percent Growth 27.1%
Absolute Growth: 4,080
More on Yorkville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Yorkville is a city partially in Kendall and Kane counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,189 at the 2000 United States Census and had grown to 16,921 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kendall County. Yorkville is in the center of Kendall County, the fastest-growing county in Illinois and according to recent statistics released in June 2010, by CNN, is the fastest-growing county in the United States.
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Population: 26,486
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 21,261
Percent Growth 24.6%
Absolute Growth: 5,225
More on Huntley: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,766
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 9,472
Percent Growth 24.2%
Absolute Growth: 2,294
More on Plano: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Plano is a city in Kendall County, Illinois, United States near Aurora, with a population of 10,856 at the 2010 census, nearly doubling its size from 2000. The city was home to the Plano Harvester Company in the late nineteenth century, as well as the Plano Molding Company more recently. In 2011, downtown Plano was used as a set for Man of Steel.
/10
Population: 34,383
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 27,719
Percent Growth 24.0%
Absolute Growth: 6,664
More on Oswego: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Oswego is a village in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. The village population, according to the 2010 census, is 30,355. Its population has more than doubled since the 2000 census count of 13,326. With that growth, Oswego is the largest municipality located completely within Kendall County.
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Population: 8,327
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 4)
Population 2010: 6,888
Percent Growth 20.9%
Absolute Growth: 1,439
More on Mahomet: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Mahomet is a town in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,258 at the 2010 census. Mahomet is located approximately ten miles west of Champaign at the junction of Interstate 74 and IL 47.
/10
Population: 43,048
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 4)
Population 2010: 35,708
Percent Growth 20.6%
Absolute Growth: 7,340
More on Plainfield: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Plainfield is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The US Census Bureau estimates the population at 41,734 as of 2013.
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Prairie State for 2020
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 335 Illinois 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 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]
Here's a graph of the cities in Illinois with the largest percent increase in population:
These Places Grew Up So Fast In Illinois, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Illinois are led by Pingree Grove 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):
- Taylorville
- Fairfield
- West Frankfort
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
- Safest Places In Illinois
- Worst Places To Live In Illinois
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Illinois For 2020
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pingree Grove | 94.1% |
| 2 | Savoy | 35.5% |
| 3 | Gilberts | 32.0% |
| 4 | Hillsboro | 27.1% |
| 5 | Yorkville | 27.1% |
| 6 | Huntley | 24.6% |
| 7 | Plano | 24.2% |
| 8 | Oswego | 24.0% |
| 9 | Mahomet | 20.9% |
| 10 | Plainfield | 20.6% |
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