Is being in an area of Virginia 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 Chesapeake, 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 look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Virginia 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 Old Dominion that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Virginia For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Virginia for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Culpeper ranks as the fastest-growing city in Virginia. If you happen to be a resident of Culpeper, 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 Virginia grow like weeds.
For more Virginia state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- 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 2026
1. Culpeper
/10
Population: 20,794
Population 2010: 15,607
Percent Growth 33.2%
Absolute Growth: 5,187
More on Culpeper: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Falls Church
/10
Population: 14,710
Population 2010: 11,465
Percent Growth 28.3%
Absolute Growth: 3,245
More on Falls Church: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Manassas Park
/10
Population: 16,798
Population 2010: 13,195
Percent Growth 27.3%
Absolute Growth: 3,603
More on Manassas Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Purcellville
/10
Population: 8,973
Population 2010: 7,102
Percent Growth 26.3%
Absolute Growth: 1,871
More on Purcellville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Fredericksburg
/10
Population: 28,873
Population 2010: 23,375
Percent Growth 23.5%
Absolute Growth: 5,498
More on Fredericksburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Leesburg
/10
Population: 49,171
Population 2010: 40,713
Percent Growth 20.8%
Absolute Growth: 8,458
More on Leesburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Bridgewater
/10
Population: 6,708
Population 2010: 5,581
Percent Growth 20.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,127
More on Bridgewater: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Suffolk
/10
Population: 98,796
Population 2010: 82,544
Percent Growth 19.7%
Absolute Growth: 16,252
More on Suffolk: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Manassas
/10
Population: 42,976
Population 2010: 36,067
Percent Growth 19.2%
Absolute Growth: 6,909
More on Manassas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Strasburg
/10
Population: 7,214
Population 2010: 6,081
Percent Growth 18.6%
Absolute Growth: 1,133
More on Strasburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Old Dominion 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 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]
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in Virginia.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Virginia with the most significant 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 Culpeper which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Virginia are Culpeper, Falls Church, Manassas Park, Purcellville, Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Bridgewater, Suffolk, Manassas, and Strasburg.
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
- Farmville
- Marion
For more Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Virginia
- Safest Places In Virginia
- Worst Cities In Virginia For 2017
Fastest Growing Places In Virginia For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culpeper | 20,794 | 15,607 | 33.2% | 5,187 |
| 2 | Falls Church | 14,710 | 11,465 | 28.3% | 3,245 |
| 3 | Manassas Park | 16,798 | 13,195 | 27.3% | 3,603 |
| 4 | Purcellville | 8,973 | 7,102 | 26.3% | 1,871 |
| 5 | Fredericksburg | 28,873 | 23,375 | 23.5% | 5,498 |
| 6 | Leesburg | 49,171 | 40,713 | 20.8% | 8,458 |
| 7 | Bridgewater | 6,708 | 5,581 | 20.2% | 1,127 |
| 8 | Suffolk | 98,796 | 82,544 | 19.7% | 16,252 |
| 9 | Manassas | 42,976 | 36,067 | 19.2% | 6,909 |
| 10 | Strasburg | 7,214 | 6,081 | 18.6% | 1,133 |