Is being in an area of Iowa that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, while others want peace and quiet like in Iowa Falls and Windsor Heights, 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 Iowa 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 Hawkeye State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the fastest growing city in Iowa for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Tiffin ranks as the fastest-growing city in Iowa. If you happen to be a resident of Tiffin, 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 Iowa grow like weeds.
For more Iowa state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Dangerous Cities In Iowa
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Iowa For 2026
1. Tiffin
/10
Population: 5,737
Population 2010: 1,986
Percent Growth 188.9%
Absolute Growth: 3,751
More on Tiffin: Data | Movers
2. Bondurant
/10
Population: 8,560
Population 2010: 3,486
Percent Growth 145.6%
Absolute Growth: 5,074
More on Bondurant: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Waukee
/10
Population: 29,236
Population 2010: 12,305
Percent Growth 137.6%
Absolute Growth: 16,931
More on Waukee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Grimes
/10
Population: 16,366
Population 2010: 7,653
Percent Growth 113.9%
Absolute Growth: 8,713
More on Grimes: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Polk City
/10
6. North Liberty
/10
Population: 21,125
Population 2010: 11,889
Percent Growth 77.7%
Absolute Growth: 9,236
More on North Liberty: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Adel
/10
8. Ankeny
/10
Population: 72,615
Population 2010: 42,211
Percent Growth 72.0%
Absolute Growth: 30,404
More on Ankeny: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Norwalk
/10
Population: 14,183
Population 2010: 8,622
Percent Growth 64.5%
Absolute Growth: 5,561
More on Norwalk: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Altoona
/10
Population: 21,495
Population 2010: 13,757
Percent Growth 56.2%
Absolute Growth: 7,738
More on Altoona: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Hawkeye 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 85 Iowa 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 Hawkeye 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 Iowa.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Iowa with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Iowa, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Iowa are led by Tiffin which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Iowa are Tiffin, Bondurant, Waukee, Grimes, Polk City, North Liberty, Adel, Ankeny, Norwalk, and Altoona.
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):
- Keokuk
- Clinton
- Oelwein
For more Iowa reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Iowa For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiffin | 5,737 | 1,986 | 188.9% | 3,751 |
| 2 | Bondurant | 8,560 | 3,486 | 145.6% | 5,074 |
| 3 | Waukee | 29,236 | 12,305 | 137.6% | 16,931 |
| 4 | Grimes | 16,366 | 7,653 | 113.9% | 8,713 |
| 5 | Polk City | 6,037 | 3,231 | 86.8% | 2,806 |
| 6 | North Liberty | 21,125 | 11,889 | 77.7% | 9,236 |
| 7 | Adel | 6,430 | 3,640 | 76.6% | 2,790 |
| 8 | Ankeny | 72,615 | 42,211 | 72.0% | 30,404 |
| 9 | Norwalk | 14,183 | 8,622 | 64.5% | 5,561 |
| 10 | Altoona | 21,495 | 13,757 | 56.2% | 7,738 |