The U.S. population rose 2.7% over the past five years, from about 327 million in 2016 to almost 332 million people in 2021. Nearly all of the increase was because of immigration. Americans continue to go West and South, and those regions are where the nation’s fastest-growing cities are.
To determine the fastest growing large cities, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed population data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey one-year estimates. We listed all 20 metropolitan statistical areas with at least 15% population growth from 2016 to 2021. We added seasonally-adjusted December employment figures – used to calculate employment growth from 2016 to 2021 – from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Among the reasons why these cities are growing are booming local economies, lower cost of living, desirable places to retire, the vibrancy of the college-town experience, and warmer weather.
Almost half of the fastest growing U.S. metro areas are in the South, which is now home to 40% of the nation’s population. Three metro areas in Tennessee/Kentucky and two in North Carolina are on the list. (Find out if these are also among the cities that will grow the fastest in the next few decades.)
Outside of the South, Idaho and Utah also have rapidly growing metro areas. There are three Idaho big cities on the list – Coeur d’Alene, Boise City, and Pocatello. Idaho is benefiting from an influx of people fleeing high-cost California.
Utah landed St. George and Provo-Orem on the list. Each metro area boasts an unemployment rate of less than 2%. Both Utah metros had the highest employment growth of any metro region on the list for the 2016-2021 period.
In all but one of the metro areas on the list – Greeley, Colorado – the unemployment rates fell in the 2016-2021 timeframe.
Many of the metro areas on the list benefit from the vitality of being home to major universities in their cities, including Ames, Iowa; Gainesville, Florida; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Jackson, Tennessee; and Columbia, Missouri. (Here are cities with the youngest populations.)
Click here to see America’s 20 fastest growing big cities.
20. Charleston, WV
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +15.2% (+33,363)
> 2021 population: 252,942 — #189 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 219,579 — #198 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: -1.7% — #95 largest decrease out of 150
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 3.8% — #181 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 5.4% — #269 lowest out of 381
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19. Greeley, CO
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +15.3% (+45,104)
> 2021 population: 340,036 — #152 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 294,932 — #162 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 11.4% — #27 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 4.9% — #291 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 2.9% — #18 lowest out of 381
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18. Provo-Orem, UT
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +15.6% (+94,156)
> 2021 population: 696,699 — #84 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 602,543 — #91 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 17.5% — #2 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 1.5% — #2 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 3.0% — #22 lowest out of 381
17. Pocatello, ID
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +15.7% (+13,268)
> 2021 population: 97,645 — #359 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 84,377 — #370 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 9.5% — #49 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 2.4% — #34 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 3.4% — #45 lowest out of 381
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16. Hattiesburg, MS
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +15.9% (+23,704)
> 2021 population: 172,507 — #247 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 148,803 — #277 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 2.0% — #175 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 3.3% — #121 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 4.9% — #210 lowest out of 381
15. Boise City, ID
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +16.1% (+111,256)
> 2021 population: 801,470 — #74 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 690,214 — #80 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 14.7% — #7 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 2.3% — #30 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 3.5% — #54 lowest out of 381
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14. Coeur d’Alene, ID
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +16.5% (+25,478)
> 2021 population: 179,789 — #239 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 154,311 — #262 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 13.4% — #11 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 3.0% — #93 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 4.2% — #115 lowest out of 381
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13. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +16.9% (+94,477)
> 2021 population: 654,012 — #90 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 559,535 — #96 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 8.8% — #56 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 3.1% — #100 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 4.4% — #141 lowest out of 381
12. Clarksville, TN-KY
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +16.9% (+47,789)
> 2021 population: 329,864 — #155 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 282,075 — #167 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 8.0% — #68 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 4.1% — #221 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 5.4% — #269 lowest out of 381
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11. St. George, UT
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +19.3% (+30,981)
> 2021 population: 191,226 — #227 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 160,245 — #255 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 23.9% — #1 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 1.8% — #5 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 3.5% — #54 lowest out of 381
10. Columbia, MO
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +20.5% (+36,202)
> 2021 population: 212,796 — #210 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 176,594 — #235 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 1.1% — #201 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 2.2% — #20 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 3.0% — #22 lowest out of 381
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9. Gainesville, FL
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +22.4% (+63,085)
> 2021 population: 344,881 — #150 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 281,796 — #168 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 7.1% — #79 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 3.6% — #150 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 4.2% — #115 lowest out of 381
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8. Wausau-Weston, WI
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +22.6% (+30,586)
> 2021 population: 166,189 — #256 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 135,603 — #294 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 1.3% — #196 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 2.2% — #20 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 3.3% — #35 lowest out of 381
7. Morristown, TN
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +22.6% (+26,535)
> 2021 population: 143,855 — #288 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 117,320 — #326 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 5.3% — #103 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 3.8% — #181 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 5.0% — #223 lowest out of 381
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6. Sumter, SC
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +26.4% (+28,386)
> 2021 population: 135,782 — #300 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 107,396 — #338 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: -0.7% — #129 largest decrease out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 4.0% — #210 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 5.5% — #284 lowest out of 381
5. Ames, IA
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +30.0% (+29,105)
> 2021 population: 126,195 — #316 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 97,090 — #357 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: -0.6% — #135 largest decrease out of 150
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 2.0% — #12 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 2.2% — #1 lowest out of 381
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4. Longview, TX
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +32.4% (+70,422)
> 2021 population: 287,868 — #171 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 217,446 — #199 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: -0.0% — #150 largest decrease out of 150
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 5.4% — #323 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 6.3% — #339 lowest out of 381
3. Fayetteville, NC
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +37.9% (+144,199)
> 2021 population: 524,588 — #106 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 380,389 — #138 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: +0.0% — #231 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 5.5% — #331 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 6.3% — #339 lowest out of 381
2. Manhattan, KS
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +38.1% (+36,928)
> 2021 population: 133,932 — #306 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 97,004 — #358 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: -4.6% — #42 largest decrease out of 150
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 2.5% — #41 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 3.4% — #45 lowest out of 381
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1. Jackson, TN
> 2016-2021 pop. growth: +39.6% (+51,272)
> 2021 population: 180,799 — #237 highest out of 381
> 2016 population: 129,527 — #303 highest out of 381
> 2016-2021 employment growth: 3.4% — #140 largest increase out of 231
> Dec 2021 unemployment rate: 3.7% — #162 lowest out of 381
> Dec 2016 unemployment rate: 4.8% — #199 lowest out of 381
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