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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 Seattle and Spokane, while others want peace and quiet like in Wapato and Sultan, 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 Washington 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 Evergreen State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Washington for 2022 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Washington For 2022
What's the fastest growing city in Washington for 2022? 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 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 Washington are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Washington or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Washington state reading:
- 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 2022
1. Ridgefield
/10
Population: 8,751
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 4,364
Percent Growth 100.5%
Absolute Growth: 4,387
More on Ridgefield: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Kirkland
/10
Population: 91,146
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 47,677
Percent Growth 91.2%
Absolute Growth: 43,469
More on Kirkland: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Burien
/10
Population: 51,588
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 32,743
Percent Growth 57.6%
Absolute Growth: 18,845
More on Burien: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Connell
/10
Population: 5,518
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population 2010: 3,570
Percent Growth 54.6%
Absolute Growth: 1,948
More on Connell: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Airway Heights
/10
Population: 8,885
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Population 2010: 5,819
Percent Growth 52.7%
Absolute Growth: 3,066
More on Airway Heights: Homes For Sale | Data
6. Liberty Lake
/10
Population: 10,381
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 4)
Population 2010: 6,835
Percent Growth 51.9%
Absolute Growth: 3,546
More on Liberty Lake: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Sammamish
/10
Population: 65,265
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 43,341
Percent Growth 50.6%
Absolute Growth: 21,924
More on Sammamish: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Yelm
/10
Population: 9,262
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 6,186
Percent Growth 49.7%
Absolute Growth: 3,076
More on Yelm: Homes For Sale | Data
9. Snoqualmie
/10
Population: 13,550
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 3)
Population 2010: 9,058
Percent Growth 49.6%
Absolute Growth: 4,492
More on Snoqualmie: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Kent
/10
Population: 130,038
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 89,446
Percent Growth 45.4%
Absolute Growth: 40,592
More on Kent: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Evergreen 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 120 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]
Here's a graph of the cities in Washington with the largest 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.
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):
- Hoquiam
- Aberdeen
- Toppenish
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Safest Places In Washington
- Worst Places To Live In Washington
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Washington For 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ridgefield | 100.5% |
| 2 | Kirkland | 91.2% |
| 3 | Burien | 57.6% |
| 4 | Connell | 54.6% |
| 5 | Airway Heights | 52.7% |
| 6 | Liberty Lake | 51.9% |
| 7 | Sammamish | 50.6% |
| 8 | Yelm | 49.7% |
| 9 | Snoqualmie | 49.6% |
| 10 | Kent | 45.4% |
