Is being in an area of Washington that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Seattle and Spokane, while others want peace and quiet like in Connell and Buckley, 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 Washington 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 Evergreen 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 Washington For 2025
What’s the fastest growing city in Washington for 2025? Based on the most recent ACS data, Ridgefield ranks as the fastest-growing city in Washington. If you happen to be a resident of Ridgefield, 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 Washington grow like weeds.
For more Washington state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
- Most Dangerous Cities In Washington
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Washington For 2025
1. Ridgefield
/10
Population: 12,576
Population 2010: 4,364
Percent Growth 188.2%
Absolute Growth: 8,212
More on Ridgefield: Data
2. Kirkland
/10
Population: 91,614
Population 2010: 47,677
Percent Growth 92.2%
Absolute Growth: 43,937
More on Kirkland: Data
3. Airway Heights
/10
Population: 10,766
Population 2010: 5,819
Percent Growth 85.0%
Absolute Growth: 4,947
More on Airway Heights: Data
4. Liberty Lake
/10
Population: 12,435
Population 2010: 6,835
Percent Growth 81.9%
Absolute Growth: 5,600
More on Liberty Lake:
5. Gig Harbor
/10
Population: 12,202
Population 2010: 7,102
Percent Growth 71.8%
Absolute Growth: 5,100
More on Gig Harbor: Data
6. Yelm
/10
Population: 10,618
Population 2010: 6,186
Percent Growth 71.6%
Absolute Growth: 4,432
More on Yelm: Data
7. Tumwater
/10
Population: 26,519
Population 2010: 16,834
Percent Growth 57.5%
Absolute Growth: 9,685
More on Tumwater: Data
8. Burien
/10
Population: 51,331
Population 2010: 32,743
Percent Growth 56.8%
Absolute Growth: 18,588
More on Burien: Data
9. West Richland
/10
Population: 17,126
Population 2010: 11,037
Percent Growth 55.2%
Absolute Growth: 6,089
More on West Richland: Data
10. Sammamish
/10
Population: 66,375
Population 2010: 43,341
Percent Growth 53.1%
Absolute Growth: 23,034
More on Sammamish: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Evergreen State for 2025
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 2023)
We ranked all 121 Washington 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 Evergreen 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 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Washington.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Washington with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Washington, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Washington are led by Ridgefield which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Washington are Ridgefield, Kirkland, Airway Heights, Liberty Lake, Gig Harbor, Yelm, Tumwater, Burien, West Richland, and Sammamish.
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):
- Toppenish
- Hoquiam
- Clarkston
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Safest Places In Washington
- Worst Places To Live In Washington
Fastest Growing Places In Washington For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ridgefield | 12,576 | 4,364 | 188.2% | 8,212 |
| 2 | Kirkland | 91,614 | 47,677 | 92.2% | 43,937 |
| 3 | Airway Heights | 10,766 | 5,819 | 85.0% | 4,947 |
| 4 | Liberty Lake | 12,435 | 6,835 | 81.9% | 5,600 |
| 5 | Gig Harbor | 12,202 | 7,102 | 71.8% | 5,100 |
| 6 | Yelm | 10,618 | 6,186 | 71.6% | 4,432 |
| 7 | Tumwater | 26,519 | 16,834 | 57.5% | 9,685 |
| 8 | Burien | 51,331 | 32,743 | 56.8% | 18,588 |
| 9 | West Richland | 17,126 | 11,037 | 55.2% | 6,089 |
| 10 | Sammamish | 66,375 | 43,341 | 53.1% | 23,034 |