Is being in an area of Virginia that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, while others want peace and quiet like in Bluefield and Big Stone Gap, 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 Virginia 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 Old Dominion that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Virginia For 2024
What’s the fastest growing city in Virginia for 2024? Based on the most recent ACS data, Manassas Park ranks as the fastest-growing city in Virginia. If you happen to be a resident of Manassas Park, 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 Virginia grow like weeds.
For more Virginia state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Virginia For 2024
1. Manassas Park
/10
Population: 17,123
Population 2010: 13,195
Percent Growth 29.8%
Absolute Growth: 3,928
More on Manassas Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
2. Culpeper
/10
Population: 20,105
Population 2010: 15,607
Percent Growth 28.8%
Absolute Growth: 4,498
More on Culpeper: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Falls Church
/10
Population: 14,576
Population 2010: 11,465
Percent Growth 27.1%
Absolute Growth: 3,111
More on Falls Church: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Purcellville
/10
Population: 8,928
Population 2010: 7,102
Percent Growth 25.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,826
More on Purcellville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
5. Fredericksburg
/10
Population: 28,258
Population 2010: 23,375
Percent Growth 20.9%
Absolute Growth: 4,883
More on Fredericksburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. Leesburg
/10
Population: 48,465
Population 2010: 40,713
Percent Growth 19.0%
Absolute Growth: 7,752
More on Leesburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Manassas
/10
Population: 42,620
Population 2010: 36,067
Percent Growth 18.2%
Absolute Growth: 6,553
More on Manassas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Alexandria
/10
Population: 157,594
Population 2010: 133,647
Percent Growth 17.9%
Absolute Growth: 23,947
More on Alexandria: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Bridgewater
/10
Population: 6,575
Population 2010: 5,581
Percent Growth 17.8%
Absolute Growth: 994
More on Bridgewater: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Strasburg
/10
Population: 7,104
Population 2010: 6,081
Percent Growth 16.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,023
More on Strasburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Old Dominion 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 62 Virginia 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 Old Dominion.
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 Virginia.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Virginia with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Virginia, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Virginia are led by Manassas Park which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Virginia are Manassas Park, Culpeper, Falls Church, Purcellville, Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Manassas, Alexandria, Bridgewater, and Strasburg.
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):
- Richlands
- Farmville
- Bluefield
For more Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Virginia
- Safest Places In Virginia
- Worst Cities In Virginia For 2017
Fastest Growing Places In Virginia For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manassas Park | 17,123 | 13,195 | 29.8% | 3,928 |
| 2 | Culpeper | 20,105 | 15,607 | 28.8% | 4,498 |
| 3 | Falls Church | 14,576 | 11,465 | 27.1% | 3,111 |
| 4 | Purcellville | 8,928 | 7,102 | 25.7% | 1,826 |
| 5 | Fredericksburg | 28,258 | 23,375 | 20.9% | 4,883 |
| 6 | Leesburg | 48,465 | 40,713 | 19.0% | 7,752 |
| 7 | Manassas | 42,620 | 36,067 | 18.2% | 6,553 |
| 8 | Alexandria | 157,594 | 133,647 | 17.9% | 23,947 |
| 9 | Bridgewater | 6,575 | 5,581 | 17.8% | 994 |
| 10 | Strasburg | 7,104 | 6,081 | 16.8% | 1,023 |