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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 Swoyersville and Olyphant, 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 2022 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Pennsylvania For 2022
What's the fastest growing city in Pennsylvania for 2022? 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 2022
1. Franklin Park
/10
Population: 14,701
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 12,985
Percent Growth 13.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,716
More on Franklin Park: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Mount Joy
/10
Population: 8,204
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,310
Percent Growth 12.2%
Absolute Growth: 894
More on Mount Joy: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Oxford
/10
Population: 5,560
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,971
Percent Growth 11.8%
Absolute Growth: 589
More on Oxford: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. West Chester
/10
Population: 20,033
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population 2010: 18,530
Percent Growth 8.1%
Absolute Growth: 1,503
More on West Chester: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Jefferson Hills
/10
Population: 11,166
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Population 2010: 10,375
Percent Growth 7.6%
Absolute Growth: 791
More on Jefferson Hills: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Media
/10
Population: 5,658
Rank Last Year: 25 (Up 19)
Population 2010: 5,348
Percent Growth 5.8%
Absolute Growth: 310
More on Media: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Clarion
/10
Population: 5,650
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 2)
Population 2010: 5,354
Percent Growth 5.5%
Absolute Growth: 296
More on Clarion: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Chambersburg
/10
Population: 21,017
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 19,924
Percent Growth 5.5%
Absolute Growth: 1,093
More on Chambersburg: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Selinsgrove
/10
Population: 5,923
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 3)
Population 2010: 5,621
Percent Growth 5.4%
Absolute Growth: 302
More on Selinsgrove: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Philadelphia
/10
Population: 1,581,531
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 3)
Population 2010: 1,504,950
Percent Growth 5.1%
Absolute Growth: 76,581
More on Philadelphia: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Keystone State for 2022
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 186 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:
Summary: 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 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin Park | 13.2% |
| 2 | Mount Joy | 12.2% |
| 3 | Oxford | 11.8% |
| 4 | West Chester | 8.1% |
| 5 | Jefferson Hills | 7.6% |
| 6 | Media | 5.8% |
| 7 | Clarion | 5.5% |
| 8 | Chambersburg | 5.5% |
| 9 | Selinsgrove | 5.4% |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 5.1% |
