Is being in an area of Missouri that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Kansas City and St. Louis, while others want peace and quiet like in Ste. Genevieve and Savannah, 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 Missouri 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 Show Me 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 Missouri For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Missouri for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Cottleville ranks as the fastest-growing city in Missouri. If you happen to be a resident of Cottleville, 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 Missouri grow like weeds.
For more Missouri state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Missouri
- Cheapest Places To Live In Missouri
- Most Dangerous Cities in Missouri
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Missouri For 2026
1. Cottleville
/10
Population: 5,937
Population 2010: 2,914
Percent Growth 103.7%
Absolute Growth: 3,023
More on Cottleville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Wentzville
/10
Population: 47,061
Population 2010: 25,386
Percent Growth 85.4%
Absolute Growth: 21,675
More on Wentzville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Wright City
/10
Population: 5,240
Population 2010: 2,931
Percent Growth 78.8%
Absolute Growth: 2,309
More on Wright City: Data | Movers
4. Parkville
/10
Population: 8,366
Population 2010: 5,311
Percent Growth 57.5%
Absolute Growth: 3,055
More on Parkville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Herculaneum
/10
6. Republic
/10
Population: 19,829
Population 2010: 13,772
Percent Growth 44.0%
Absolute Growth: 6,057
More on Republic: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Grain Valley
/10
Population: 16,271
Population 2010: 11,428
Percent Growth 42.4%
Absolute Growth: 4,843
More on Grain Valley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Kearney
/10
Population: 10,885
Population 2010: 7,864
Percent Growth 38.4%
Absolute Growth: 3,021
More on Kearney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Troy
/10
Population: 13,947
Population 2010: 10,103
Percent Growth 38.0%
Absolute Growth: 3,844
More on Troy: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Nixa
/10
Population: 24,836
Population 2010: 18,021
Percent Growth 37.8%
Absolute Growth: 6,815
More on Nixa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Show Me 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 131 Missouri 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 Show Me 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 Missouri.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Missouri with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Missouri, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Missouri are led by Cottleville which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Missouri are Cottleville, Wentzville, Wright City, Parkville, Herculaneum, Republic, Grain Valley, Kearney, Troy, and Nixa.
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):
- Caruthersville
- Ferguson
- Sullivan
For more Missouri reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Missouri
- Safest Places In Missouri
- Worst Places To Live In Missouri
Fastest Growing Places In Missouri For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cottleville | 5,937 | 2,914 | 103.7% | 3,023 |
| 2 | Wentzville | 47,061 | 25,386 | 85.4% | 21,675 |
| 3 | Wright City | 5,240 | 2,931 | 78.8% | 2,309 |
| 4 | Parkville | 8,366 | 5,311 | 57.5% | 3,055 |
| 5 | Herculaneum | 5,071 | 3,364 | 50.7% | 1,707 |
| 6 | Republic | 19,829 | 13,772 | 44.0% | 6,057 |
| 7 | Grain Valley | 16,271 | 11,428 | 42.4% | 4,843 |
| 8 | Kearney | 10,885 | 7,864 | 38.4% | 3,021 |
| 9 | Troy | 13,947 | 10,103 | 38.0% | 3,844 |
| 10 | Nixa | 24,836 | 18,021 | 37.8% | 6,815 |