Is being in an area of Minnesota that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, while others want peace and quiet like in Redwood Falls and Morris, 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 Minnesota 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 North Star 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 Minnesota for 2024? Based on the most recent ACS data, Rogers ranks as the fastest-growing city in Minnesota. If you happen to be a resident of Rogers, 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 Minnesota grow like weeds.
For more Minnesota state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Minnesota
- Cheapest Places To Live In Minnesota
- Most Dangerous Cities In Minnesota
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Minnesota For 2024
1. Rogers
/10
Population: 13,283
Population 2010: 7,661
Percent Growth 73.4%
Absolute Growth: 5,622
More on Rogers: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
2. Carver
/10
Population: 5,656
Population 2010: 3,337
Percent Growth 69.5%
Absolute Growth: 2,319
More on Carver: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Dayton
/10
Population: 7,745
Population 2010: 4,672
Percent Growth 65.8%
Absolute Growth: 3,073
More on Dayton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Otsego
/10
Population: 20,455
Population 2010: 12,521
Percent Growth 63.4%
Absolute Growth: 7,934
More on Otsego: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
5. Victoria
/10
Population: 10,681
Population 2010: 6,954
Percent Growth 53.6%
Absolute Growth: 3,727
More on Victoria: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. Lake Elmo
/10
Population: 11,861
Population 2010: 7,878
Percent Growth 50.6%
Absolute Growth: 3,983
More on Lake Elmo: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Medina
/10
Population: 6,746
Population 2010: 4,680
Percent Growth 44.1%
Absolute Growth: 2,066
More on Medina: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Isanti
/10
Population: 6,850
Population 2010: 4,873
Percent Growth 40.6%
Absolute Growth: 1,977
More on Isanti: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Minnetrista
/10
Population: 8,347
Population 2010: 5,976
Percent Growth 39.7%
Absolute Growth: 2,371
More on Minnetrista: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Byron
/10
Population: 6,373
Population 2010: 4,693
Percent Growth 35.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,680
More on Byron: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the North Star 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 148 Minnesota 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 North Star 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 Minnesota.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Minnesota with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Minnesota, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Minnesota are led by Rogers which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Minnesota are Rogers, Carver, Dayton, Otsego, Victoria, Lake Elmo, Medina, Isanti, Minnetrista, and Byron.
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):
- International Falls
- Winona
- Crookston
For more Minnesota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Minnesota
- Safest Places In Minnesota
- Worst Places To Live In Minnesota
Fastest Growing Places In Minnesota For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rogers | 13,283 | 7,661 | 73.4% | 5,622 |
| 2 | Carver | 5,656 | 3,337 | 69.5% | 2,319 |
| 3 | Dayton | 7,745 | 4,672 | 65.8% | 3,073 |
| 4 | Otsego | 20,455 | 12,521 | 63.4% | 7,934 |
| 5 | Victoria | 10,681 | 6,954 | 53.6% | 3,727 |
| 6 | Lake Elmo | 11,861 | 7,878 | 50.6% | 3,983 |
| 7 | Medina | 6,746 | 4,680 | 44.1% | 2,066 |
| 8 | Isanti | 6,850 | 4,873 | 40.6% | 1,977 |
| 9 | Minnetrista | 8,347 | 5,976 | 39.7% | 2,371 |
| 10 | Byron | 6,373 | 4,693 | 35.8% | 1,680 |