Is being in an area of Minnesota that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, while others want peace and quiet like in Elko New Market and Becker, 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 Minnesota 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 North Star State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the fastest growing city in Minnesota for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Dayton ranks as the fastest-growing city in Minnesota. If you happen to be a resident of Dayton, 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 Minnesota grow like weeds.
For more Minnesota state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Minnesota
- Cheapest Places To Live In Minnesota
- Most Dangerous Cities In Minnesota
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Minnesota For 2026
1. Dayton
/10
Population: 9,095
Population 2010: 4,672
Percent Growth 94.7%
Absolute Growth: 4,423
More on Dayton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Carver
/10
Population: 6,239
Population 2010: 3,337
Percent Growth 87.0%
Absolute Growth: 2,902
More on Carver: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Rogers
/10
Population: 13,685
Population 2010: 7,661
Percent Growth 78.6%
Absolute Growth: 6,024
More on Rogers: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Otsego
/10
Population: 22,245
Population 2010: 12,521
Percent Growth 77.7%
Absolute Growth: 9,724
More on Otsego: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Lake Elmo
/10
Population: 13,140
Population 2010: 7,878
Percent Growth 66.8%
Absolute Growth: 5,262
More on Lake Elmo: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Victoria
/10
Population: 11,295
Population 2010: 6,954
Percent Growth 62.4%
Absolute Growth: 4,341
More on Victoria: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Medina
/10
Population: 6,968
Population 2010: 4,680
Percent Growth 48.9%
Absolute Growth: 2,288
More on Medina: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Isanti
/10
Population: 7,210
Population 2010: 4,873
Percent Growth 48.0%
Absolute Growth: 2,337
More on Isanti: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Minnetrista
/10
Population: 8,708
Population 2010: 5,976
Percent Growth 45.7%
Absolute Growth: 2,732
More on Minnetrista: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Byron
/10
Population: 6,646
Population 2010: 4,693
Percent Growth 41.6%
Absolute Growth: 1,953
More on Byron: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the North Star 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 151 Minnesota 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 North Star 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 Minnesota.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Minnesota with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Minnesota, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Minnesota are led by Dayton which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Minnesota are Dayton, Carver, Rogers, Otsego, Lake Elmo, Victoria, Medina, Isanti, Minnetrista, and Byron.
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):
- International Falls
- Crookston
- Lake City
For more Minnesota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Minnesota
- Safest Places In Minnesota
- Worst Places To Live In Minnesota
Fastest Growing Places In Minnesota For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dayton | 9,095 | 4,672 | 94.7% | 4,423 |
| 2 | Carver | 6,239 | 3,337 | 87.0% | 2,902 |
| 3 | Rogers | 13,685 | 7,661 | 78.6% | 6,024 |
| 4 | Otsego | 22,245 | 12,521 | 77.7% | 9,724 |
| 5 | Lake Elmo | 13,140 | 7,878 | 66.8% | 5,262 |
| 6 | Victoria | 11,295 | 6,954 | 62.4% | 4,341 |
| 7 | Medina | 6,968 | 4,680 | 48.9% | 2,288 |
| 8 | Isanti | 7,210 | 4,873 | 48.0% | 2,337 |
| 9 | Minnetrista | 8,708 | 5,976 | 45.7% | 2,732 |
| 10 | Byron | 6,646 | 4,693 | 41.6% | 1,953 |