Is being in an area of Louisiana that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge, while others want peace and quiet like in Grambling and St. Martinville, 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 Louisiana 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 Pelican 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 Louisiana For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Louisiana for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Youngsville ranks as the fastest-growing city in Louisiana. If you happen to be a resident of Youngsville, 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 Louisiana grow like weeds.
For more Louisiana state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Louisiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Louisiana
- Most Dangerous Places In Louisiana
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Louisiana For 2026
1. Youngsville
/10
Population: 17,427
Population 2010: 7,336
Percent Growth 137.6%
Absolute Growth: 10,091
More on Youngsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Addis
/10
Population: 7,252
Population 2010: 3,451
Percent Growth 110.1%
Absolute Growth: 3,801
More on Addis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Broussard
/10
Population: 14,322
Population 2010: 7,761
Percent Growth 84.5%
Absolute Growth: 6,561
More on Broussard: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Carencro
/10
Population: 11,619
Population 2010: 7,355
Percent Growth 58.0%
Absolute Growth: 4,264
More on Carencro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Zachary
/10
Population: 19,952
Population 2010: 14,284
Percent Growth 39.7%
Absolute Growth: 5,668
More on Zachary: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Gonzales
/10
Population: 13,108
Population 2010: 9,596
Percent Growth 36.6%
Absolute Growth: 3,512
More on Gonzales: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Covington
/10
Population: 11,658
Population 2010: 8,941
Percent Growth 30.4%
Absolute Growth: 2,717
More on Covington: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. New Orleans
/10
Population: 371,853
Population 2010: 295,285
Percent Growth 25.9%
Absolute Growth: 76,568
More on New Orleans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Ponchatoula
/10
Population: 7,808
Population 2010: 6,425
Percent Growth 21.5%
Absolute Growth: 1,383
More on Ponchatoula: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Lake Charles
/10
Population: 81,143
Population 2010: 71,224
Percent Growth 13.9%
Absolute Growth: 9,919
More on Lake Charles: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Pelican 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 59 Louisiana 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 Pelican 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 Louisiana.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Louisiana with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Louisiana, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Louisiana are led by Youngsville which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Louisiana are Youngsville, Addis, Broussard, Carencro, Zachary, Gonzales, Covington, New Orleans, Ponchatoula, and Lake Charles.
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):
- Tallulah
- Bastrop
- Ville Platte
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Louisiana
- Safest Places In Louisiana
- Worst Places To Live In Louisiana
Fastest Growing Places In Louisiana For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Youngsville | 17,427 | 7,336 | 137.6% | 10,091 |
| 2 | Addis | 7,252 | 3,451 | 110.1% | 3,801 |
| 3 | Broussard | 14,322 | 7,761 | 84.5% | 6,561 |
| 4 | Carencro | 11,619 | 7,355 | 58.0% | 4,264 |
| 5 | Zachary | 19,952 | 14,284 | 39.7% | 5,668 |
| 6 | Gonzales | 13,108 | 9,596 | 36.6% | 3,512 |
| 7 | Covington | 11,658 | 8,941 | 30.4% | 2,717 |
| 8 | New Orleans | 371,853 | 295,285 | 25.9% | 76,568 |
| 9 | Ponchatoula | 7,808 | 6,425 | 21.5% | 1,383 |
| 10 | Lake Charles | 81,143 | 71,224 | 13.9% | 9,919 |