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 Savannah and Weldon Spring, 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 2025
What’s the fastest growing city in Missouri for 2025? 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 2025
1. Cottleville
/10
Population: 5,750
Population 2010: 2,914
Percent Growth 97.3%
Absolute Growth: 2,836
More on Cottleville:
2. Wentzville
/10
Population: 45,734
Population 2010: 25,386
Percent Growth 80.2%
Absolute Growth: 20,348
More on Wentzville: Data
3. Parkville
/10
Population: 8,022
Population 2010: 5,311
Percent Growth 51.0%
Absolute Growth: 2,711
More on Parkville: Data
4. Grain Valley
/10
Population: 15,967
Population 2010: 11,428
Percent Growth 39.7%
Absolute Growth: 4,539
More on Grain Valley: Data
5. Republic
/10
Population: 19,233
Population 2010: 13,772
Percent Growth 39.7%
Absolute Growth: 5,461
More on Republic: Data
6. Kearney
/10
Population: 10,696
Population 2010: 7,864
Percent Growth 36.0%
Absolute Growth: 2,832
More on Kearney: Data
7. St. Robert
/10
Population: 5,327
Population 2010: 3,929
Percent Growth 35.6%
Absolute Growth: 1,398
More on St. Robert:
8. Peculiar
/10
Population: 5,815
Population 2010: 4,325
Percent Growth 34.5%
Absolute Growth: 1,490
More on Peculiar:
9. Nixa
/10
Population: 24,131
Population 2010: 18,021
Percent Growth 33.9%
Absolute Growth: 6,110
More on Nixa: Data
10. Smithville
/10
Population: 10,552
Population 2010: 7,896
Percent Growth 33.6%
Absolute Growth: 2,656
More on Smithville: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Show Me 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 128 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 2025. This report is our tenth 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, Parkville, Grain Valley, Republic, Kearney, St. Robert, Peculiar, Nixa, and Smithville.
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):
- Ferguson
- Caruthersville
- 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 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cottleville | 5,750 | 2,914 | 97.3% | 2,836 |
| 2 | Wentzville | 45,734 | 25,386 | 80.2% | 20,348 |
| 3 | Parkville | 8,022 | 5,311 | 51.0% | 2,711 |
| 4 | Grain Valley | 15,967 | 11,428 | 39.7% | 4,539 |
| 5 | Republic | 19,233 | 13,772 | 39.7% | 5,461 |
| 6 | Kearney | 10,696 | 7,864 | 36.0% | 2,832 |
| 7 | St. Robert | 5,327 | 3,929 | 35.6% | 1,398 |
| 8 | Peculiar | 5,815 | 4,325 | 34.5% | 1,490 |
| 9 | Nixa | 24,131 | 18,021 | 33.9% | 6,110 |
| 10 | Smithville | 10,552 | 7,896 | 33.6% | 2,656 |