Is being in an area of Michigan that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Detroit and Grand Rapids, while others want peace and quiet like in Ironwood and Davison, 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 Michigan 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 Wolverine 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 Michigan For 2025
What’s the fastest growing city in Michigan for 2025? Based on the most recent ACS data, New Haven ranks as the fastest-growing city in Michigan. If you happen to be a resident of New Haven, 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 Michigan grow like weeds.
For more Michigan state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
- Most Dangerous Places in Michigan
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Michigan For 2025
1. New Haven
/10
Population: 6,341
Population 2010: 4,361
Percent Growth 45.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,980
More on New Haven: Data
2. Dundee
/10
Population: 5,584
Population 2010: 3,935
Percent Growth 41.9%
Absolute Growth: 1,649
More on Dundee: Data
3. Wixom
/10
Population: 17,126
Population 2010: 13,456
Percent Growth 27.3%
Absolute Growth: 3,670
More on Wixom: Data
4. Coldwater
/10
Population: 13,847
Population 2010: 10,979
Percent Growth 26.1%
Absolute Growth: 2,868
More on Coldwater: Data
5. Hamtramck
/10
Population: 27,830
Population 2010: 22,594
Percent Growth 23.2%
Absolute Growth: 5,236
More on Hamtramck: Data
6. Novi
/10
Population: 66,224
Population 2010: 53,823
Percent Growth 23.0%
Absolute Growth: 12,401
More on Novi: Data
7. Auburn Hills
/10
Population: 24,911
Population 2010: 21,162
Percent Growth 17.7%
Absolute Growth: 3,749
More on Auburn Hills: Data
8. Melvindale
/10
Population: 12,605
Population 2010: 10,759
Percent Growth 17.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,846
More on Melvindale: Data
9. Kentwood
/10
Population: 54,114
Population 2010: 48,242
Percent Growth 12.2%
Absolute Growth: 5,872
More on Kentwood: Data
10. Rockford
/10
Population: 6,162
Population 2010: 5,538
Percent Growth 11.3%
Absolute Growth: 624
More on Rockford: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Wolverine State for 2025
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 2023)
We ranked all 154 Michigan 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 Wolverine 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 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Michigan.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Michigan with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Michigan, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Michigan are led by New Haven which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Michigan are New Haven, Dundee, Wixom, Coldwater, Hamtramck, Novi, Auburn Hills, Melvindale, Kentwood, and Rockford.
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):
- Highland Park
- Big Rapids
- Flint
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Michigan
- Safest Places In Michigan
- Worst Places To Live In Michigan
Fastest Growing Places In Michigan For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven | 6,341 | 4,361 | 45.4% | 1,980 |
| 2 | Dundee | 5,584 | 3,935 | 41.9% | 1,649 |
| 3 | Wixom | 17,126 | 13,456 | 27.3% | 3,670 |
| 4 | Coldwater | 13,847 | 10,979 | 26.1% | 2,868 |
| 5 | Hamtramck | 27,830 | 22,594 | 23.2% | 5,236 |
| 6 | Novi | 66,224 | 53,823 | 23.0% | 12,401 |
| 7 | Auburn Hills | 24,911 | 21,162 | 17.7% | 3,749 |
| 8 | Melvindale | 12,605 | 10,759 | 17.2% | 1,846 |
| 9 | Kentwood | 54,114 | 48,242 | 12.2% | 5,872 |
| 10 | Rockford | 6,162 | 5,538 | 11.3% | 624 |