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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 Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, while others want peace and quiet like in Manchester and Spirit Lake, 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 Iowa 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 Hawkeye State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Iowa for 2021 according to the most recent census data:
What's the fastest growing city in Iowa for 2021? Based on the most recent ACS data, Bondurant ranks as the fastest growing city in Iowa. If you happen to be a resident of Bondurant, 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 Iowa are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Iowa or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Iowa state reading:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Iowa For 2021
1. Bondurant
/10
Population: 6,191
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 3,486
Percent Growth 77.6%
Absolute Growth: 2,705
More on Bondurant: Homes For Sale | Data
2. Waukee
/10
Population: 20,785
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 12,305
Percent Growth 68.9%
Absolute Growth: 8,480
More on Waukee: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Grimes
/10
Population: 12,839
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,653
Percent Growth 67.8%
Absolute Growth: 5,186
More on Grimes: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. North Liberty
/10
Population: 18,829
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population 2010: 11,889
Percent Growth 58.4%
Absolute Growth: 6,940
More on North Liberty: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Ankeny
/10
Population: 61,938
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 42,211
Percent Growth 46.7%
Absolute Growth: 19,727
More on Ankeny: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Asbury
/10
Population: 5,557
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 3,852
Percent Growth 44.3%
Absolute Growth: 1,705
More on Asbury: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Johnston
/10
Population: 21,406
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population 2010: 15,723
Percent Growth 36.1%
Absolute Growth: 5,683
More on Johnston: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Altoona
/10
Population: 18,458
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 13,757
Percent Growth 34.2%
Absolute Growth: 4,701
More on Altoona: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Norwalk
/10
Population: 10,978
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 8,622
Percent Growth 27.3%
Absolute Growth: 2,356
More on Norwalk: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Eldridge
/10
Population: 6,529
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,319
Percent Growth 22.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,210
More on Eldridge: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Hawkeye State for 2021
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 80 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]
Here's a graph of the cities in Iowa with the largest percent increase in population:
These Places Grew Up So Fast In Iowa, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Iowa are led by Bondurant 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):
- Estherville
- Red Oak
- Oelwein
For more Iowa reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Iowa For 2021
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bondurant | 77.6% |
| 2 | Waukee | 68.9% |
| 3 | Grimes | 67.8% |
| 4 | North Liberty | 58.4% |
| 5 | Ankeny | 46.7% |
| 6 | Asbury | 44.3% |
| 7 | Johnston | 36.1% |
| 8 | Altoona | 34.2% |
| 9 | Norwalk | 27.3% |
| 10 | Eldridge | 22.7% |
