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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 Kansas City and St. Louis, while others want peace and quiet like in Dellwood and Osage Beach, 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 Missouri 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 Show Me State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Missouri for 2021 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Missouri For 2021
What's the fastest growing city in Missouri for 2021? 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 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 Missouri are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Missouri or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Missouri state reading:
- 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 2021
1. Cottleville
/10
Population: 5,200
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 2,914
Percent Growth 78.4%
Absolute Growth: 2,286
More on Cottleville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. St. Robert
/10
Population: 6,122
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 3,929
Percent Growth 55.8%
Absolute Growth: 2,193
More on St. Robert: Homes For Sale | Data
3. Wentzville
/10
Population: 38,841
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 25,386
Percent Growth 53.0%
Absolute Growth: 13,455
More on Wentzville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Dardenne Prairie
/10
Population: 13,293
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population 2010: 10,290
Percent Growth 29.2%
Absolute Growth: 3,003
More on Dardenne Prairie: Homes For Sale | Data
5. Kearney
/10
Population: 10,095
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,864
Percent Growth 28.4%
Absolute Growth: 2,231
More on Kearney: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Parkville
/10
Population: 6,724
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,311
Percent Growth 26.6%
Absolute Growth: 1,413
More on Parkville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Greenwood
/10
Population: 6,247
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,963
Percent Growth 25.9%
Absolute Growth: 1,284
More on Greenwood: Homes For Sale | Data
8. Smithville
/10
Population: 9,884
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 7,896
Percent Growth 25.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,988
More on Smithville: Homes For Sale | Data
9. Battlefield
/10
Population: 6,240
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 5,044
Percent Growth 23.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,196
More on Battlefield: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Grain Valley
/10
Population: 13,966
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Population 2010: 11,428
Percent Growth 22.2%
Absolute Growth: 2,538
More on Grain Valley: Homes For Sale | Data
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Show Me State for 2021
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 132 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]
Here's a graph of the cities in Missouri with the largest percent increase in population:
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.
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):
- Kennett
- 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
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Missouri For 2021
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cottleville | 78.4% |
| 2 | St. Robert | 55.8% |
| 3 | Wentzville | 53.0% |
| 4 | Dardenne Prairie | 29.2% |
| 5 | Kearney | 28.4% |
| 6 | Parkville | 26.6% |
| 7 | Greenwood | 25.9% |
| 8 | Smithville | 25.2% |
| 9 | Battlefield | 23.7% |
| 10 | Grain Valley | 22.2% |
