Is being in an area of New York that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like New York and Buffalo, while others want peace and quiet like in Ballston Spa and Sea Cliff, 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 New York 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 Empire 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 New York For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in New York for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Kiryas Joel ranks as the fastest-growing city in New York. If you happen to be a resident of Kiryas Joel, 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 New York grow like weeds.
For more New York state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In New York
- Cheapest Places To Live In New York
- Most Dangerous Places In New York
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In New York For 2026
1. Kiryas Joel
/10
Population: 38,916
Population 2010: 19,089
Percent Growth 103.9%
Absolute Growth: 19,827
More on Kiryas Joel: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. New Square
/10
Population: 9,803
Population 2010: 6,458
Percent Growth 51.8%
Absolute Growth: 3,345
More on New Square: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Chestnut Ridge
/10
Population: 10,557
Population 2010: 7,851
Percent Growth 34.5%
Absolute Growth: 2,706
More on Chestnut Ridge: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Kaser
/10
Population: 5,694
Population 2010: 4,436
Percent Growth 28.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,258
More on Kaser: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. New Paltz
/10
Population: 8,314
Population 2010: 6,749
Percent Growth 23.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,565
More on New Paltz: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Airmont
/10
Population: 10,205
Population 2010: 8,426
Percent Growth 21.1%
Absolute Growth: 1,779
More on Airmont: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Liberty
/10
Population: 5,142
Population 2010: 4,372
Percent Growth 17.6%
Absolute Growth: 770
More on Liberty: Crime | Movers
8. Great Neck Plaza
/10
Population: 7,593
Population 2010: 6,613
Percent Growth 14.8%
Absolute Growth: 980
More on Great Neck Plaza: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Monroe
/10
Population: 9,515
Population 2010: 8,320
Percent Growth 14.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,195
More on Monroe: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Canton
/10
Population: 7,167
Population 2010: 6,277
Percent Growth 14.2%
Absolute Growth: 890
More on Canton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Empire 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 168 New York 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 Empire 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 New York.
Here’s a graph of the cities in New York with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In New York, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in New York are led by Kiryas Joel which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in New York are Kiryas Joel, New Square, Chestnut Ridge, Kaser, New Paltz, Airmont, Liberty, Great Neck Plaza, Monroe, and Canton.
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):
- Ogdensburg
- Fredonia
- Hudson
For more New York reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New York
- Safest Places In New York According To Science
- Worst Places To Live In New York State
Fastest Growing Places In New York For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiryas Joel | 38,916 | 19,089 | 103.9% | 19,827 |
| 2 | New Square | 9,803 | 6,458 | 51.8% | 3,345 |
| 3 | Chestnut Ridge | 10,557 | 7,851 | 34.5% | 2,706 |
| 4 | Kaser | 5,694 | 4,436 | 28.4% | 1,258 |
| 5 | New Paltz | 8,314 | 6,749 | 23.2% | 1,565 |
| 6 | Airmont | 10,205 | 8,426 | 21.1% | 1,779 |
| 7 | Liberty | 5,142 | 4,372 | 17.6% | 770 |
| 8 | Great Neck Plaza | 7,593 | 6,613 | 14.8% | 980 |
| 9 | Monroe | 9,515 | 8,320 | 14.4% | 1,195 |
| 10 | Canton | 7,167 | 6,277 | 14.2% | 890 |