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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 Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, while others want peace and quiet like in Sugarcreek and Swoyersville, 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 Pennsylvania 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 Keystone State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Pennsylvania for 2021 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Pennsylvania For 2021
What's the fastest growing city in Pennsylvania for 2021? Based on the most recent ACS data, Franklin Park ranks as the fastest growing city in Pennsylvania. If you happen to be a resident of Franklin Park, 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 Pennsylvania are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Pennsylvania or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Pennsylvania state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Most Dangerous Cities In Pennsylvania
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Pennsylvania For 2021
1. Franklin Park
/10
Population: 14,589
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 12,985
Percent Growth 12.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,604
More on Franklin Park: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Mount Joy
/10
Population: 8,163
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,310
Percent Growth 11.7%
Absolute Growth: 853
More on Mount Joy: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Oxford
/10
Population: 5,515
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,971
Percent Growth 10.9%
Absolute Growth: 544
More on Oxford: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. West Chester
/10
Population: 20,034
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 18,530
Percent Growth 8.1%
Absolute Growth: 1,504
More on West Chester: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Jefferson Hills
/10
Population: 11,200
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 10,375
Percent Growth 8.0%
Absolute Growth: 825
More on Jefferson Hills: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Selinsgrove
/10
Population: 5,927
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,621
Percent Growth 5.4%
Absolute Growth: 306
More on Selinsgrove: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Philadelphia
/10
Population: 1,579,075
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population 2010: 1,504,950
Percent Growth 4.9%
Absolute Growth: 74,125
More on Philadelphia: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Chambersburg
/10
Population: 20,832
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 19,924
Percent Growth 4.6%
Absolute Growth: 908
More on Chambersburg: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Clarion
/10
Population: 5,580
Rank Last Year: 33 (Up 24)
Population 2010: 5,354
Percent Growth 4.2%
Absolute Growth: 226
More on Clarion: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Waynesboro
/10
Population: 10,860
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 10,438
Percent Growth 4.0%
Absolute Growth: 422
More on Waynesboro: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Keystone 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 187 Pennsylvania 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 Keystone 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 Pennsylvania with the largest percent increase in population:
These Places Grew Up So Fast In Pennsylvania, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Pennsylvania are led by Franklin Park 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):
- Edinboro
- Greenville
- Johnstown
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania
- Safest Places In Pennsylvania
- Worst Places To Live In Pennsylvania
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Pennsylvania For 2021
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin Park | 12.4% |
| 2 | Mount Joy | 11.7% |
| 3 | Oxford | 10.9% |
| 4 | West Chester | 8.1% |
| 5 | Jefferson Hills | 8.0% |
| 6 | Selinsgrove | 5.4% |
| 7 | Philadelphia | 4.9% |
| 8 | Chambersburg | 4.6% |
| 9 | Clarion | 4.2% |
| 10 | Waynesboro | 4.0% |
