Special Report

The Fastest Growing (and Shrinking) Cities

Thomas C. Frohlich

Published: May 25, 2017 12:05 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 11:41 am

Cities in the South remain among the fastest growing in the United States, according to statistics released May 25 by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Six of the 15 fastest growing cities are in Texas, two are in Florida, and one each in South Carolina and Tennessee. The remaining fastest growing cities are in Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Iowa. The geographic picture is more mixed on the other end of the spectrum.

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Two of the 15 fastest shrinking cities are in Oklahoma, while the remaining 13 cities are in different states in nearly every region of the country. While fast-growing cities tend to have strong economies and affluent residents, most of the shrinking cities tend to have relatively low median household incomes.

While the growth rates of northeastern cities have trailed other regions for years, New York remains America’s largest city. With over 8.5 million residents, the city has twice the population as Los Angeles, the next largest city.

Despite losing 8,638 residents (-0.3%), Chicago remains the third largest city with a population of 2.7 million. Phoenix, Arizona added the largest number of new residents, at 32,113 (an average of 88 people per day) between 2015 and 2016.

Click here to see the 15 fastest growing cities.

Click here to see the 15 fastest shrinking cities.

Click here to see the methodology.

The 15 Fastest Growing Cities

Source: Thinkstock

15. Fort Myers, Florida
> 12 month population growth: 4.5%
> Population increase: 3,291
> Population July 2016: 77,146
> Median household income: $39,039

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Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/carlwwycoff/

14. Ankeny, Iowa
> 12 month population growth: 4.5%
> Population increase: 2,518
> Population July 2016: 58,627
> Median household income: $75,465

Source: Thinkstock

13. Meridian, Idaho
> 12 month population growth: 4.5%
> Population increase: 4,122
> Population July 2016: 95,623
> Median household income: $63,023

Source: Larry D. Moore / Wikimedia Commons

12. Cedar Park, Texas
> 12 month population growth: 4.5%
> Population increase: 2,996
> Population July 2016: 68,918
> Median household income: $82,311

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Source: Thinkstock

11. Lehi, Utah
> 12 month population growth: 4.6%
> Population increase: 2,702
> Population July 2016: 61,130
> Median household income: $77,662

Source: Thinkstock

10. Murfreesboro, Tennessee
> 12 month population growth: 4.7%
> Population increase: 5,886
> Population July 2016: 131,947
> Median household income: $51,094

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Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/texasbackroads/

9. New Braunfels, Texas
> 12 month population growth: 4.7%
> Population increase: 3,311
> Population July 2016: 73,959
> Median household income: $59,721

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Source: Thinkstock

8. Bonita Springs, Florida
> 12 month population growth: 4.8%
> Population increase: 2,460
> Population July 2016: 54,198
> Median household income: $53,955

Source: Marine 69-71 / Wikimedia Commons

7. Buckeye town, Arizona
> 12 month population growth: 4.8%
> Population increase: 2,988
> Population July 2016: 64,629
> Median household income: $58,939

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Source: Thinkstock

6. Bend, Oregon
> 12 month population growth: 4.9%
> Population increase: 4,280
> Population July 2016: 91,122
> Median household income: $52,989

Source: Thinkstock

5. Georgetown, Texas
> 12 month population growth: 5.5%
> Population increase: 3,501
> Population July 2016: 67,140
> Median household income: $63,041

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Source: Thinkstock

4. Greenville, South Carolina
> 12 month population growth: 5.8%
> Population increase: 3,680
> Population July 2016: 67,453
> Median household income: $41,924

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Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97883517@N02/

3. McKinney, Texas
> 12 month population growth: 5.9%
> Population increase: 9,607
> Population July 2016: 172,298
> Median household income: $81,459

Source: Madison Berndt / Flickr

2. Frisco, Texas
> 12 month population growth: 6.2%
> Population increase: 9,576
> Population July 2016: 163,656
> Median household income: $114,098

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Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bk1bennett/

1. Conroe, Texas
> 12 month population growth: 7.8%
> Population increase: 5,924
> Population July 2016: 82,286
> Median household income: $47,680

The 15 Fastest Shrinking Cities

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/

15. Springfield, Ohio
> 12 month population decline: -0.9%
> Population decrease: -531
> Population July 2016: 59,087
> Median household income: $32,066

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Source: Thinkstock

14. Gary, Indiana
> 12 month population decline: -0.9%
> Population decrease: -692
> Population July 2016: 76,424
> Median household income: $28,020

Source: Thinkstock

13. Jackson, Mississippi
> 12 month population decline: -1.0%
> Population decrease: -1,770
> Population July 2016: 169,148
> Median household income: $32,250

Source: Thinkstock

12. Baltimore, Maryland
> 12 month population decline: -1.1%
> Population decrease: -6,738
> Population July 2016: 614,664
> Median household income: $42,241

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Source: Thinkstock

11. Columbus, Georgia
> 12 month population decline: -1.1%
> Population decrease: -2,166
> Population July 2016: 197,485
> Median household income: $42,306

Source: Thinkstock

10. St. Louis, Missouri
> 12 month population decline: -1.1%
> Population decrease: -3,471
> Population July 2016: 311,404
> Median household income: $35,599

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Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mookielove/

9. Odessa, Texas
> 12 month population decline: -1.1%
> Population decrease: -1,318
> Population July 2016: 117,871
> Median household income: $59,337

Source: Thinkstock

8. Shreveport, Louisiana
> 12 month population decline: -1.1%
> Population decrease: -2,238
> Population July 2016: 194,920
> Median household income: $38,583

Source: Thinkstock

7. Portsmouth, Virginia
> 12 month population decline: -1.1%
> Population decrease: -1,104
> Population July 2016: 95,252
> Median household income: $45,676

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

6. Enid, Oklahoma
> 12 month population decline: -1.2%
> Population decrease: -600
> Population July 2016: 51,004
> Median household income: $46,365

Source: Thinkstock

5. Albany, Georgia
> 12 month population decline: -1.3%
> Population decrease: -1,006
> Population July 2016: 73,801
> Median household income: $29,676

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Source: Phillip Stewart / Flickr

4. Casper, Wyoming
> 12 month population decline: -1.6%
> Population decrease: -979
> Population July 2016: 59,324
> Median household income: $57,790

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Source: duggar11 / Flickr

3. Lawton, Oklahoma
> 12 month population decline: -1.7%
> Population decrease: -1,658
> Population July 2016: 94,653
> Median household income: $42,493

Source: Blake Bolinger / Wikimedia Commons

2. Camden, New Jersey
> 12 month population decline: -1.8%
> Population decrease: -1,331
> Population July 2016: 74,420
> Median household income: $25,042

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Source: GNU Free Documentation License / Wikimedia Commons

1. Manhattan, Kansas
> 12 month population decline: -2.4%
> Population decrease: -1,370
> Population July 2016: 54,983
> Median household income: $43,104

Methodology:

To identify America’s 15 fastest growing and 15 fastest shrinking cities, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed percentage change from July 2015 to July 2016 in the populations of U.S. towns and cities with populations of 50,000 or more from the U.S. Census Bureau. The statistics cover all local governmental units, including incorporated places (such as cities and towns), minor civil divisions (such as townships) and consolidated cities (government units for which the functions of an incorporated place and its parent county have merged). Median household income figures for each city came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and are five year estimates through 2015.