Is being in an area of Wisconsin that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Milwaukee and Madison, while others want peace and quiet like in Richland Center and Mayville, 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 Wisconsin 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 Badger 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 Wisconsin For 2025
What’s the fastest growing city in Wisconsin for 2025? Based on the most recent ACS data, Bristol ranks as the fastest-growing city in Wisconsin. If you happen to be a resident of Bristol, 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 Wisconsin grow like weeds.
For more Wisconsin state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Cheapest Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Most Dangerous Cities In Wisconsin
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Wisconsin For 2025
1. Bristol
/10
Population: 5,196
Population 2010: 2,563
Percent Growth 102.7%
Absolute Growth: 2,633
More on Bristol:
2. Hobart
/10
Population: 10,418
Population 2010: 5,993
Percent Growth 73.8%
Absolute Growth: 4,425
More on Hobart: Data
3. Verona
/10
Population: 14,499
Population 2010: 10,033
Percent Growth 44.5%
Absolute Growth: 4,466
More on Verona: Data
4. Cottage Grove
/10
Population: 7,906
Population 2010: 5,824
Percent Growth 35.7%
Absolute Growth: 2,082
More on Cottage Grove: Data
5. Sun Prairie
/10
Population: 36,455
Population 2010: 27,808
Percent Growth 31.1%
Absolute Growth: 8,647
More on Sun Prairie: Data
6. Altoona
/10
Population: 8,750
Population 2010: 6,685
Percent Growth 30.9%
Absolute Growth: 2,065
More on Altoona: Data
7. Holmen
/10
Population: 11,027
Population 2010: 8,455
Percent Growth 30.4%
Absolute Growth: 2,572
More on Holmen: Data
8. Middleton
/10
Population: 22,235
Population 2010: 17,164
Percent Growth 29.5%
Absolute Growth: 5,071
More on Middleton: Data
9. Waunakee
/10
Population: 14,927
Population 2010: 11,557
Percent Growth 29.2%
Absolute Growth: 3,370
More on Waunakee: Data
10. Fitchburg
/10
Population: 31,566
Population 2010: 24,466
Percent Growth 29.0%
Absolute Growth: 7,100
More on Fitchburg: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Badger 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 143 Wisconsin 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 Badger 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 Wisconsin.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Wisconsin with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Wisconsin, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Wisconsin are led by Bristol which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Wisconsin are Bristol, Hobart, Verona, Cottage Grove, Sun Prairie, Altoona, Holmen, Middleton, Waunakee, and Fitchburg.
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):
- Prairie Du Chien
- Merrill
- Two Rivers
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Wisconsin
- Safest Places In Wisconsin
- Worst Places To Live In Wisconsin
Fastest Growing Places In Wisconsin For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol | 5,196 | 2,563 | 102.7% | 2,633 |
| 2 | Hobart | 10,418 | 5,993 | 73.8% | 4,425 |
| 3 | Verona | 14,499 | 10,033 | 44.5% | 4,466 |
| 4 | Cottage Grove | 7,906 | 5,824 | 35.7% | 2,082 |
| 5 | Sun Prairie | 36,455 | 27,808 | 31.1% | 8,647 |
| 6 | Altoona | 8,750 | 6,685 | 30.9% | 2,065 |
| 7 | Holmen | 11,027 | 8,455 | 30.4% | 2,572 |
| 8 | Middleton | 22,235 | 17,164 | 29.5% | 5,071 |
| 9 | Waunakee | 14,927 | 11,557 | 29.2% | 3,370 |
| 10 | Fitchburg | 31,566 | 24,466 | 29.0% | 7,100 |