Is being in an area of Mississippi 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 Forest and Ripley, 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 Mississippi 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 Magnolia 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 Mississippi For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Mississippi for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, D’Iberville ranks as the fastest-growing city in Mississippi. If you happen to be a resident of D’Iberville, 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 Mississippi grow like weeds.
For more Mississippi state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- 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 2026
1. D’iberville
/10
Population: 13,203
Population 2010: 8,905
Percent Growth 48.3%
Absolute Growth: 4,298
More on D’iberville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Olive Branch
/10
Population: 47,019
Population 2010: 31,910
Percent Growth 47.3%
Absolute Growth: 15,109
More on Olive Branch: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Oxford
/10
Population: 26,411
Population 2010: 17,990
Percent Growth 46.8%
Absolute Growth: 8,421
More on Oxford: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Flowood
/10
Population: 10,587
Population 2010: 7,586
Percent Growth 39.6%
Absolute Growth: 3,001
More on Flowood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Hernando
/10
Population: 17,949
Population 2010: 13,253
Percent Growth 35.4%
Absolute Growth: 4,696
More on Hernando: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Pass Christian
/10
Population: 6,097
Population 2010: 4,809
Percent Growth 26.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,288
More on Pass Christian: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Byram
/10
Population: 12,799
Population 2010: 10,511
Percent Growth 21.8%
Absolute Growth: 2,288
More on Byram: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Brandon
/10
Population: 25,542
Population 2010: 21,072
Percent Growth 21.2%
Absolute Growth: 4,470
More on Brandon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Southaven
/10
Population: 56,226
Population 2010: 46,743
Percent Growth 20.3%
Absolute Growth: 9,483
More on Southaven: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Madison
/10
Population: 27,946
Population 2010: 23,294
Percent Growth 20.0%
Absolute Growth: 4,652
More on Madison: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Magnolia 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 60 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]
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in Mississippi.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Mississippi with the most significant 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 D’Iberville which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Mississippi are D’Iberville, Olive Branch, Oxford, Flowood, Hernando, Pass Christian, Byram, Brandon, Southaven, and Madison.
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
- Canton
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Mississippi
- Safest Places In Mississippi
- Worst Places To Live In Mississippi
Fastest Growing Places In Mississippi For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D’iberville | 13,203 | 8,905 | 48.3% | 4,298 |
| 2 | Olive Branch | 47,019 | 31,910 | 47.3% | 15,109 |
| 3 | Oxford | 26,411 | 17,990 | 46.8% | 8,421 |
| 4 | Flowood | 10,587 | 7,586 | 39.6% | 3,001 |
| 5 | Hernando | 17,949 | 13,253 | 35.4% | 4,696 |
| 6 | Pass Christian | 6,097 | 4,809 | 26.8% | 1,288 |
| 7 | Byram | 12,799 | 10,511 | 21.8% | 2,288 |
| 8 | Brandon | 25,542 | 21,072 | 21.2% | 4,470 |
| 9 | Southaven | 56,226 | 46,743 | 20.3% | 9,483 |
| 10 | Madison | 27,946 | 23,294 | 20.0% | 4,652 |