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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 Virginia Beach and Norfolk, while others want peace and quiet like in Orange and Big Stone Gap, 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 Virginia 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 Old Dominion that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Virginia for 2022 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Virginia For 2022
What's the fastest growing city in Virginia for 2022? Based on the most recent ACS data, Purcellville ranks as the fastest growing city in Virginia. If you happen to be a resident of Purcellville, 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 Virginia are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Virginia or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Virginia state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Virginia For 2022
1. Purcellville
/10
Population: 10,063
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,102
Percent Growth 41.7%
Absolute Growth: 2,961
More on Purcellville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Manassas Park
/10
Population: 17,548
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 13,195
Percent Growth 33.0%
Absolute Growth: 4,353
More on Manassas Park: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Leesburg
/10
Population: 53,731
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 40,713
Percent Growth 32.0%
Absolute Growth: 13,018
More on Leesburg: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Falls Church
/10
Population: 14,309
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population 2010: 11,465
Percent Growth 24.8%
Absolute Growth: 2,844
More on Falls Church: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Fredericksburg
/10
Population: 29,059
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Population 2010: 23,375
Percent Growth 24.3%
Absolute Growth: 5,684
More on Fredericksburg: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Culpeper
/10
Population: 18,633
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 15,607
Percent Growth 19.4%
Absolute Growth: 3,026
More on Culpeper: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Alexandria
/10
Population: 158,309
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 133,647
Percent Growth 18.5%
Absolute Growth: 24,662
More on Alexandria: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Manassas
/10
Population: 41,038
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 36,067
Percent Growth 13.8%
Absolute Growth: 4,971
More on Manassas: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Richmond
/10
Population: 229,233
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 201,828
Percent Growth 13.6%
Absolute Growth: 27,405
More on Richmond: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Harrisonburg
/10
Population: 53,558
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 47,406
Percent Growth 13.0%
Absolute Growth: 6,152
More on Harrisonburg: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Old Dominion 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 62 Virginia 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 Old Dominion.
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 Virginia with the largest percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Virginia, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Virginia are led by Purcellville 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):
- Richlands
- Martinsville
- Galax
For more Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Virginia
- Safest Places In Virginia
- Worst Cities In Virginia For 2017
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Virginia For 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purcellville | 41.7% |
| 2 | Manassas Park | 33.0% |
| 3 | Leesburg | 32.0% |
| 4 | Falls Church | 24.8% |
| 5 | Fredericksburg | 24.3% |
| 6 | Culpeper | 19.4% |
| 7 | Alexandria | 18.5% |
| 8 | Manassas | 13.8% |
| 9 | Richmond | 13.6% |
| 10 | Harrisonburg | 13.0% |
