Is being in an area of Iowa that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, while others want peace and quiet like in Sergeant Bluff and Iowa Falls, 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 Iowa 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 Hawkeye State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the fastest growing city in Iowa for 2024? Based on the most recent ACS data, Bondurant ranks as the fastest-growing city in Iowa. If you happen to be a resident of Bondurant, 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 Iowa grow like weeds.
For more Iowa state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Dangerous Cities In Iowa
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Iowa For 2024
1. Bondurant
/10
Population: 7,617
Population 2010: 3,486
Percent Growth 118.5%
Absolute Growth: 4,131
More on Bondurant: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
2. Waukee
/10
Population: 25,045
Population 2010: 12,305
Percent Growth 103.5%
Absolute Growth: 12,740
More on Waukee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Grimes
/10
Population: 15,402
Population 2010: 7,653
Percent Growth 101.3%
Absolute Growth: 7,749
More on Grimes: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Polk City
/10
5. North Liberty
/10
Population: 20,393
Population 2010: 11,889
Percent Growth 71.5%
Absolute Growth: 8,504
More on North Liberty: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. Adel
/10
7. Ankeny
/10
Population: 68,392
Population 2010: 42,211
Percent Growth 62.0%
Absolute Growth: 26,181
More on Ankeny: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Asbury
/10
Population: 5,890
Population 2010: 3,852
Percent Growth 52.9%
Absolute Growth: 2,038
More on Asbury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Johnston
/10
Population: 23,856
Population 2010: 15,723
Percent Growth 51.7%
Absolute Growth: 8,133
More on Johnston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Norwalk
/10
Population: 13,057
Population 2010: 8,622
Percent Growth 51.4%
Absolute Growth: 4,435
More on Norwalk: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Hawkeye State for 2024
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 2022)
We ranked all 84 Iowa 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 Hawkeye 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 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Iowa.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Iowa with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Iowa, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Iowa are led by Bondurant which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Iowa are Bondurant, Waukee, Grimes, Polk City, North Liberty, Adel, Ankeny, Asbury, Johnston, and Norwalk.
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):
- Clinton
- Keokuk
- Estherville
For more Iowa reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Iowa For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bondurant | 7,617 | 3,486 | 118.5% | 4,131 |
| 2 | Waukee | 25,045 | 12,305 | 103.5% | 12,740 |
| 3 | Grimes | 15,402 | 7,653 | 101.3% | 7,749 |
| 4 | Polk City | 5,604 | 3,231 | 73.4% | 2,373 |
| 5 | North Liberty | 20,393 | 11,889 | 71.5% | 8,504 |
| 6 | Adel | 6,090 | 3,640 | 67.3% | 2,450 |
| 7 | Ankeny | 68,392 | 42,211 | 62.0% | 26,181 |
| 8 | Asbury | 5,890 | 3,852 | 52.9% | 2,038 |
| 9 | Johnston | 23,856 | 15,723 | 51.7% | 8,133 |
| 10 | Norwalk | 13,057 | 8,622 | 51.4% | 4,435 |