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.
103.7% growth since 2010 · 3,023 net new residents
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
85.4% growth since 2010 · 21,675 net new residents
Located in
St. Charles County, Missouri
Wentzville is a city located in western St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 29,070. 2016 population estimates have placed the city’s population at 37,395, making it the 17th largest city in Missouri. Wentzville was the fastest growing city in Missouri between 2000 and 2010, and population estimates since 2010 indicate that Wentzville is likely to continue as the state’s fastest growing city for a second consecutive decade. As the site of the county fairgrounds, Wentzville hosts the annual St. Gerard County Parade, St. Lazlo Wentz Festival and the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
78.8% growth since 2010 · 2,309 net new residents
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
57.5% growth since 2010 · 3,055 net new residents
Located in
Platte County, Missouri
Parkville is a city in Platte County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,554 at the 2010 census. Parkville is known for its antique shops, art galleries, and historic downtown. The city is home to Park University and English Landing Park.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
50.7% growth since 2010 · 1,707 net new residents
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
44.0% growth since 2010 · 6,057 net new residents
Located in
Greene County, Missouri
Republic is a city in Christian and Greene counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 14,751. As of 2015, the population was 16,005. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
42.4% growth since 2010 · 4,843 net new residents
Located in
Jackson County, Missouri
Grain Valley is a city in Jackson County, Missouri, in the United States. Grain Valley is located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. It is approx. 23 miles east of Kansas City.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
38.4% growth since 2010 · 3,021 net new residents
Located in
Clay County, Missouri
Kearney is a city in Clay County, Missouri, United States. The population per the 2010 U.S. Census was 8,381. It is most famous for being the birthplace of Jesse James, and there is an annual festival in the third weekend of September to recognize the notorious outlaw.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
38.0% growth since 2010 · 3,844 net new residents
Located in
Lincoln County, Missouri
Troy is a city in Lincoln County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 10,540. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
37.8% growth since 2010 · 6,815 net new residents
Located in
Christian County, Missouri
Nixa is a suburban city in Christian County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,022. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Missouri’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Missouri’s growth is happening
Saturday Night Science
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.
The full plate
Fastest Growing Places In Missouri For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| 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 |
| 11 | Peculiar | 5,958 | 4,325 | 37.8% | 1,633 |
| 12 | St. Robert | 5,356 | 3,929 | 36.3% | 1,427 |
| 13 | Raymore | 24,526 | 18,009 | 36.2% | 6,517 |
| 14 | Smithville | 10,705 | 7,896 | 35.6% | 2,809 |
| 15 | Ozark | 22,417 | 16,622 | 34.9% | 5,795 |
| 16 | Eureka | 13,081 | 9,707 | 34.8% | 3,374 |
| 17 | Dardenne Prairie | 13,503 | 10,290 | 31.2% | 3,213 |
| 18 | Willard | 6,488 | 4,960 | 30.8% | 1,528 |
| 19 | Union | 12,781 | 9,820 | 30.2% | 2,961 |
| 20 | Branson | 12,817 | 9,854 | 30.1% | 2,963 |
| 21 | Lake St. Louis | 18,066 | 13,900 | 30.0% | 4,166 |
| 22 | O’Fallon | 93,801 | 74,777 | 25.4% | 19,024 |
| 23 | Columbia | 128,548 | 104,620 | 22.9% | 23,928 |
| 24 | Webb City | 13,221 | 10,765 | 22.8% | 2,456 |
| 25 | Waynesville | 5,442 | 4,440 | 22.6% | 1,002 |
| 26 | Battlefield | 6,165 | 5,044 | 22.2% | 1,121 |
| 27 | Greenwood | 6,013 | 4,963 | 21.2% | 1,050 |
| 28 | Warrenton | 9,066 | 7,586 | 19.5% | 1,480 |
| 29 | Lee’s Summit | 103,656 | 87,027 | 19.1% | 16,629 |
| 30 | Carl Junction | 8,339 | 7,081 | 17.8% | 1,258 |
| 31 | Marshfield | 7,696 | 6,554 | 17.4% | 1,142 |
| 32 | Festus | 13,201 | 11,309 | 16.7% | 1,892 |
| 33 | Jackson | 15,659 | 13,419 | 16.7% | 2,240 |
| 34 | Pacific | 7,475 | 6,414 | 16.5% | 1,061 |
| 35 | Blue Springs | 59,965 | 51,508 | 16.4% | 8,457 |
| 36 | Pevely | 6,055 | 5,206 | 16.3% | 849 |
| 37 | Oak Grove | 8,538 | 7,400 | 15.4% | 1,138 |
| 38 | Pleasant Hill | 8,847 | 7,769 | 13.9% | 1,078 |
| 39 | Clayton | 17,380 | 15,337 | 13.3% | 2,043 |
| 40 | Farmington | 18,282 | 16,143 | 13.3% | 2,139 |
| 41 | Olivette | 8,645 | 7,660 | 12.9% | 985 |
| 42 | Neosho | 13,224 | 11,719 | 12.8% | 1,505 |
| 43 | Ste. Genevieve | 5,010 | 4,448 | 12.6% | 562 |
| 44 | Kansas City | 510,612 | 454,876 | 12.3% | 55,736 |
| 45 | Monett | 9,873 | 8,799 | 12.2% | 1,074 |
| 46 | St. Peters | 59,092 | 52,850 | 11.8% | 6,242 |
| 47 | Carthage | 15,574 | 14,114 | 10.3% | 1,460 |
| 48 | Ellisville | 10,002 | 9,102 | 9.9% | 900 |
| 49 | St. Charles | 71,508 | 65,374 | 9.4% | 6,134 |
| 50 | Bolivar | 11,170 | 10,222 | 9.3% | 948 |
| 51 | Des Peres | 9,170 | 8,397 | 9.2% | 773 |
| 52 | Grandview | 26,527 | 24,420 | 8.6% | 2,107 |
| 53 | Washington | 15,130 | 13,968 | 8.3% | 1,162 |
| 54 | Belton | 25,008 | 23,092 | 8.3% | 1,916 |
| 55 | Sunset Hills | 9,112 | 8,424 | 8.2% | 688 |
| 56 | Odessa | 5,620 | 5,211 | 7.8% | 409 |
| 57 | Cape Girardeau | 40,344 | 37,410 | 7.8% | 2,934 |
| 58 | Lebanon | 15,270 | 14,211 | 7.5% | 1,059 |
| 59 | Town and Country | 11,607 | 10,812 | 7.4% | 795 |
| 60 | Marshall | 13,739 | 12,823 | 7.1% | 916 |
| 61 | Liberty | 30,689 | 28,645 | 7.1% | 2,044 |
| 62 | Kirkwood | 29,363 | 27,412 | 7.1% | 1,951 |
| 63 | Springfield | 169,954 | 158,945 | 6.9% | 11,009 |
| 64 | Gladstone | 27,207 | 25,501 | 6.7% | 1,706 |
| 65 | Joplin | 52,593 | 49,453 | 6.3% | 3,140 |
| 66 | Warrensburg | 19,582 | 18,465 | 6.0% | 1,117 |
| 67 | Creve Coeur | 18,643 | 17,581 | 6.0% | 1,062 |
| 68 | Rolla | 20,287 | 19,141 | 6.0% | 1,146 |
| 69 | West Plains | 12,441 | 11,759 | 5.8% | 682 |
| 70 | Ladue | 8,940 | 8,467 | 5.6% | 473 |
| 71 | Independence | 121,740 | 115,578 | 5.3% | 6,162 |
| 72 | Chesterfield | 49,574 | 47,253 | 4.9% | 2,321 |
| 73 | Perryville | 8,536 | 8,176 | 4.4% | 360 |
| 74 | Richmond Heights | 9,153 | 8,767 | 4.4% | 386 |
| 75 | Sedalia | 22,003 | 21,142 | 4.1% | 861 |
| 76 | Glendale | 6,114 | 5,880 | 4.0% | 234 |
| 77 | Crestwood | 12,295 | 11,892 | 3.4% | 403 |
| 78 | Webster Groves | 23,712 | 22,984 | 3.2% | 728 |
| 79 | Ballwin | 31,279 | 30,496 | 2.6% | 783 |
| 80 | Bonne Terre | 6,683 | 6,529 | 2.4% | 154 |
| 81 | Brentwood | 8,144 | 7,973 | 2.1% | 171 |
| 82 | Maryland Heights | 27,880 | 27,377 | 1.8% | 503 |
| 83 | Savannah | 5,053 | 4,967 | 1.7% | 86 |
| 84 | Arnold | 20,956 | 20,753 | 1.0% | 203 |
| 85 | Richmond | 5,959 | 5,907 | 0.9% | 52 |
| 86 | Kirksville | 17,563 | 17,413 | 0.9% | 150 |
| 87 | Chillicothe | 8,923 | 8,867 | 0.6% | 56 |
| 88 | Park Hills | 8,678 | 8,626 | 0.6% | 52 |
| 89 | Wildwood | 35,133 | 34,970 | 0.5% | 163 |
| 90 | Dexter | 7,891 | 7,855 | 0.5% | 36 |
| 91 | Shrewsbury | 6,316 | 6,293 | 0.4% | 23 |
| 92 | De Soto | 6,470 | 6,447 | 0.4% | 23 |
| 93 | Jefferson City | 42,488 | 42,374 | 0.3% | 114 |
| 94 | Macon | 5,466 | 5,462 | 0.1% | 4 |
| 95 | Fulton | 12,617 | 12,618 | -0.0% | -1 |
| 96 | Harrisonville | 9,970 | 9,973 | -0.0% | -3 |
| 97 | Raytown | 29,445 | 29,490 | -0.2% | -45 |
| 98 | Sikeston | 16,320 | 16,369 | -0.3% | -49 |
| 99 | Manchester | 18,160 | 18,215 | -0.3% | -55 |
| 100 | St. John | 6,527 | 6,563 | -0.5% | -36 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS, 2010-current. 131 Missouri cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
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!
