Is being in an area of Kansas that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Wichita and Overland Park, while others want peace and quiet like in Concordia and Louisburg, 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 Kansas 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 Sunflower 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 Kansas For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Kansas for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Maize ranks as the fastest-growing city in Kansas. If you happen to be a resident of Maize, 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 Kansas grow like weeds.
For more Kansas state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Kansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Kansas
- Most Dangerous Places In Kansas
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Kansas For 2026
1. Maize
/10
Population: 6,824
Population 2010: 3,076
Percent Growth 121.8%
Absolute Growth: 3,748
More on Maize: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Spring Hill
/10
Population: 9,120
Population 2010: 4,948
Percent Growth 84.3%
Absolute Growth: 4,172
More on Spring Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Basehor
/10
Population: 7,491
Population 2010: 4,192
Percent Growth 78.7%
Absolute Growth: 3,299
More on Basehor: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Goddard
/10
5. Andover
/10
Population: 15,965
Population 2010: 10,993
Percent Growth 45.2%
Absolute Growth: 4,972
More on Andover: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Gardner
/10
Population: 24,526
Population 2010: 17,541
Percent Growth 39.8%
Absolute Growth: 6,985
More on Gardner: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Bel Aire
/10
Population: 9,043
Population 2010: 6,583
Percent Growth 37.4%
Absolute Growth: 2,460
More on Bel Aire: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Tonganoxie
/10
Population: 5,891
Population 2010: 4,609
Percent Growth 27.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,282
More on Tonganoxie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Valley Center
/10
Population: 8,590
Population 2010: 6,748
Percent Growth 27.3%
Absolute Growth: 1,842
More on Valley Center: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Louisburg
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Sunflower 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 64 Kansas 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 Sunflower 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 Kansas.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Kansas with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Kansas, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Kansas are led by Maize which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Kansas are Maize, Spring Hill, Basehor, Goddard, Andover, Gardner, Bel Aire, Tonganoxie, Valley Center, and Louisburg.
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):
- Coffeyville
- Parsons
- Independence
For more Kansas reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Kansas For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maize | 6,824 | 3,076 | 121.8% | 3,748 |
| 2 | Spring Hill | 9,120 | 4,948 | 84.3% | 4,172 |
| 3 | Basehor | 7,491 | 4,192 | 78.7% | 3,299 |
| 4 | Goddard | 6,030 | 4,094 | 47.3% | 1,936 |
| 5 | Andover | 15,965 | 10,993 | 45.2% | 4,972 |
| 6 | Gardner | 24,526 | 17,541 | 39.8% | 6,985 |
| 7 | Bel Aire | 9,043 | 6,583 | 37.4% | 2,460 |
| 8 | Tonganoxie | 5,891 | 4,609 | 27.8% | 1,282 |
| 9 | Valley Center | 8,590 | 6,748 | 27.3% | 1,842 |
| 10 | Louisburg | 5,094 | 4,019 | 26.7% | 1,075 |