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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 Jackson and Gulfport, while others want peace and quiet like in Saltillo and Ripley, 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 Mississippi 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 Magnolia State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Mississippi for 2022 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Mississippi For 2022
What's the fastest growing city in Mississippi for 2022? Based on the most recent ACS data, Leakesville ranks as the fastest growing city in Mississippi. If you happen to be a resident of Leakesville, 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 Mississippi are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Mississippi or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Mississippi state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Mississippi
- Cheapest Places To Live In Mississippi
- Most Dangerous Cities In Mississippi
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Mississippi For 2022
1. Leakesville
Population: 5,443
Rank Last Year: 27 (Up 26)
Population 2010: 975
Percent Growth 458.3%
Absolute Growth: 4,468
More on Leakesville: Homes For Sale | Data
2. D'iberville
/10
Population: 13,766
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 8,905
Percent Growth 54.6%
Absolute Growth: 4,861
More on D'iberville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Oxford
/10
Population: 27,662
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 17,990
Percent Growth 53.8%
Absolute Growth: 9,672
More on Oxford: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Bay St. Louis
/10
Population: 13,539
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 9,349
Percent Growth 44.8%
Absolute Growth: 4,190
More on Bay St. Louis: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Pass Christian
/10
Population: 6,079
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 4,809
Percent Growth 26.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,270
More on Pass Christian: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Hernando
/10
Population: 16,206
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 13,253
Percent Growth 22.3%
Absolute Growth: 2,953
More on Hernando: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Flowood
/10
Population: 9,213
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 7,586
Percent Growth 21.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,627
More on Flowood: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Olive Branch
/10
Population: 38,270
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 31,910
Percent Growth 19.9%
Absolute Growth: 6,360
More on Olive Branch: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Southaven
/10
Population: 55,026
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 46,743
Percent Growth 17.7%
Absolute Growth: 8,283
More on Southaven: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Brandon
/10
Population: 24,088
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 21,072
Percent Growth 14.3%
Absolute Growth: 3,016
More on Brandon: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Magnolia 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 63 Mississippi 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 Magnolia 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 Mississippi with the largest percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Mississippi, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Mississippi are led by Leakesville 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):
- Clarksdale
- Greenville
- Indianola
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Mississippi
- Safest Places In Mississippi
- Worst Places To Live In Mississippi
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Mississippi For 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leakesville | 458.3% |
| 2 | D'iberville | 54.6% |
| 3 | Oxford | 53.8% |
| 4 | Bay St. Louis | 44.8% |
| 5 | Pass Christian | 26.4% |
| 6 | Hernando | 22.3% |
| 7 | Flowood | 21.4% |
| 8 | Olive Branch | 19.9% |
| 9 | Southaven | 17.7% |
| 10 | Brandon | 14.3% |