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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 Baltimore and Frederick, while others want peace and quiet like in Cheste and Poolesville, 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 Maryland 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 Old Line State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Maryland for 2022 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Maryland For 2022
What's the fastest growing city in Maryland for 2022? Based on the most recent ACS data, Rockville ranks as the fastest growing city in Maryland. If you happen to be a resident of Rockville, 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 Maryland are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Maryland or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Maryland state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Maryland
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maryland
- Most Dangerous Cities In Maryland
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Maryland For 2022
1. Rockville
/10
Population: 68,155
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 58,300
Percent Growth 16.9%
Absolute Growth: 9,855
More on Rockville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Gaithersburg
/10
Population: 67,878
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 58,169
Percent Growth 16.7%
Absolute Growth: 9,709
More on Gaithersburg: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Frederick
/10
Population: 71,843
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 2)
Population 2010: 63,731
Percent Growth 12.7%
Absolute Growth: 8,112
More on Frederick: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Fruitland
/10
Population: 5,281
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 4,704
Percent Growth 12.3%
Absolute Growth: 577
More on Fruitland: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. La Plata
/10
Population: 9,516
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Population 2010: 8,496
Percent Growth 12.0%
Absolute Growth: 1,020
More on La Plata: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Salisbury
/10
Population: 32,850
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 29,343
Percent Growth 12.0%
Absolute Growth: 3,507
More on Salisbury: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Chesapeake Beach
/10
Population: 5,996
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 5,396
Percent Growth 11.1%
Absolute Growth: 600
More on Chesapeake Beach: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Thurmont
/10
Population: 6,783
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 3)
Population 2010: 6,127
Percent Growth 10.7%
Absolute Growth: 656
More on Thurmont: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Brunswick
/10
Population: 6,364
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,770
Percent Growth 10.3%
Absolute Growth: 594
More on Brunswick: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Walkersville
/10
Population: 6,306
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 3)
Population 2010: 5,743
Percent Growth 9.8%
Absolute Growth: 563
More on Walkersville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Old Line State for 2022
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 41 Maryland 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 Old Line 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 Maryland with the largest percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Maryland, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Maryland are led by Rockville 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):
- Cumberland
- Ocean City
- Baltimore
For more Maryland reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Maryland
- Safest Places In Maryland
- Worst Places To Live In Maryland
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Maryland For 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockville | 16.9% |
| 2 | Gaithersburg | 16.7% |
| 3 | Frederick | 12.7% |
| 4 | Fruitland | 12.3% |
| 5 | La Plata | 12.0% |
| 6 | Salisbury | 12.0% |
| 7 | Chesapeake Beach | 11.1% |
| 8 | Thurmont | 10.7% |
| 9 | Brunswick | 10.3% |
| 10 | Walkersville | 9.8% |
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