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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 Louisville and Lexington, while others want peace and quiet like in Hazard and Williamsburg, 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 Kentucky 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 Bluegrass State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Kentucky for 2021 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Kentucky For 2021
What's the fastest growing city in Kentucky for 2021? Based on the most recent ACS data, Wilmore ranks as the fastest growing city in Kentucky. If you happen to be a resident of Wilmore, 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 Kentucky are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Kentucky or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Kentucky state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Kentucky
- Cheapest Places To Live In Kentucky
- Most Dangerous Cities In Kentucky
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Kentucky For 2021
1. Wilmore
/10
Population: 6,335
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 3,740
Percent Growth 69.4%
Absolute Growth: 2,595
More on Wilmore: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Mount Washington
/10
Population: 14,567
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 9,049
Percent Growth 61.0%
Absolute Growth: 5,518
More on Mount Washington: Homes For Sale | Data
3. Vine Grove
/10
Population: 6,106
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,310
Percent Growth 41.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,796
More on Vine Grove: Homes For Sale | Data
4. Georgetown
/10
Population: 33,605
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 27,268
Percent Growth 23.2%
Absolute Growth: 6,337
More on Georgetown: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Campbellsville
/10
Population: 11,419
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 9,376
Percent Growth 21.8%
Absolute Growth: 2,043
More on Campbellsville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Independence
/10
Population: 27,683
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population 2010: 22,975
Percent Growth 20.5%
Absolute Growth: 4,708
More on Independence: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Bowling Green
/10
Population: 67,600
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 56,407
Percent Growth 19.8%
Absolute Growth: 11,193
More on Bowling Green: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Shelbyville
/10
Population: 16,009
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 13,403
Percent Growth 19.4%
Absolute Growth: 2,606
More on Shelbyville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Union
/10
Population: 5,910
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,018
Percent Growth 17.8%
Absolute Growth: 892
More on Union: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Berea
/10
Population: 15,474
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 2)
Population 2010: 13,255
Percent Growth 16.7%
Absolute Growth: 2,219
More on Berea: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Bluegrass 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 78 Kentucky 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 Bluegrass 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 Kentucky with the largest percent increase in population:
These Places Grew Up So Fast In Kentucky, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Kentucky are led by Wilmore 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):
- Middlesborough
- Ashland
- Flatwoods
For more Kentucky reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Kentucky
- Safest Places In Kentucky
- Worst Places To Live In Kentucky
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Kentucky For 2021
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilmore | 69.4% |
| 2 | Mount Washington | 61.0% |
| 3 | Vine Grove | 41.7% |
| 4 | Georgetown | 23.2% |
| 5 | Campbellsville | 21.8% |
| 6 | Independence | 20.5% |
| 7 | Bowling Green | 19.8% |
| 8 | Shelbyville | 19.4% |
| 9 | Union | 17.8% |
| 10 | Berea | 16.7% |
