These Are The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Alabama For 2018

Is being in an area that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?

Depends on who you ask. Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Birmingham and Montgomery, while others want peace and quiet like in Jackson and Childersburg, thank you very much.

But today we’re going to put opinions aside and just look at the cold hard facts — over the past five years, which cities in Alabama have the grown the fastest.

After getting knee deep in the Census’s American Community Survey, we emerged with this set of cities in the Heart of Dixie that have people climbing over each other to get in.

These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Alabama for 2018 according to the most recent census data:

1. Pike Road (Photos | Homes For Sale)
2. Chelsea (Photos | Homes For Sale)
3. Gulf Shores (Photos | Homes For Sale)
4. Calera (Photos | Homes For Sale)
5. Foley (Photos | Homes For Sale)
6. Tallassee (Photos | Homes For Sale)
7. Fairhope (Photos | Homes For Sale)
8. Auburn (Photos | Homes For Sale)
9. Spanish Fort (Photos | Homes For Sale)
10. Wetumpka (Photos | Homes For Sale)

If you happen to be a resident of Pike Road, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on our list.

If you’re surprised–and you’re wondering why these places are kind of a big deal–keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Alabama are growing like weeds–but first, a bit about our methodology.

And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Alabama or the Fastest Growing States In America.

How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In Heart of Dixie

To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine the begining of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:

• Population in 2016
• Population in 2010
• Growth rate from 2010 to 2016 (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2017)

We ranked all 105 Alabama 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 Heart of Dixie.

And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:

[Population 2016 – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]

Here’s a graph of the cities in Alabama with the largest percent increase in population:

1. Pike Road

Population: 7,790
Population 2010: 5,072
Growth Rate: 53.59%
Absolute Growth: 2,718
More on Pike Road: Homes For Sale | Data

2. Chelsea

Population: 11,706
Population 2010: 9,202
Growth Rate: 27.21%
Absolute Growth: 2,504
More on Chelsea: Homes For Sale | Data

3. Gulf Shores

Population: 11,252
Population 2010: 9,035
Growth Rate: 24.54%
Absolute Growth: 2,217
More on Gulf Shores: Homes For Sale | Data

4. Calera

Population: 12,839
Population 2010: 10,374
Growth Rate: 23.76%
Absolute Growth: 2,465
More on Calera: Homes For Sale | Data
Calera is a city in Shelby and Chilton counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the location of the Shelby County Airport. Calera’s population was 3,158 at the 2000 census.

5. Foley

Population: 16,741
Population 2010: 13,570
Growth Rate: 23.37%
Absolute Growth: 3,171
More on Foley: Homes For Sale | Data
Foley is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. The 2010 census lists the population of the city as 14,618. Foley is a principal city of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Baldwin County.

6. Tallassee

Population: 5,657
Population 2010: 4,683
Growth Rate: 20.8%
Absolute Growth: 974
More on Tallassee: Homes For Sale | Data
Tallassee (pronounced

tælsi

) is a city on the Tallapoosa River, located in both Elmore and Tallapoosa counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2010 census the population was 4,819. It is home to a major hydroelectric power plant at Thurlow Dam operated by Alabama Power Company.

7. Fairhope

Population: 17,996
Population 2010: 14,927
Growth Rate: 20.56%
Absolute Growth: 3,069
More on Fairhope: Homes For Sale | Data
Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, on a sloping plateau, along the cliffs and shoreline of Mobile Bay. The 2010 census lists the population of the city as 15,326. Fairhope is a principal city of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley micropolitan area, which includes all of Baldwin County. In 2016, Fairhope was named the best small town in the South by Southern Living magazine.

8. Auburn

Population: 60,318
Population 2010: 51,057
Growth Rate: 18.14%
Absolute Growth: 9,261
More on Auburn: Homes For Sale | Data
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2016 population of 63,118. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. The Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA with a population of 158,991, along with the Columbus, GA-AL MSA and Tuskegee, Alabama, comprises the greater Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL CSA, a region home to 501,649 residents.

9. Spanish Fort

Population: 7,825
Population 2010: 6,624
Growth Rate: 18.13%
Absolute Growth: 1,201
More on Spanish Fort: Homes For Sale | Data
Spanish Fort is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. The 2010 census lists the population of the city as 6,798. It is a suburb of Mobile and is part of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley micropolitan area.

10. Wetumpka

Population: 7,654
Population 2010: 6,480
Growth Rate: 18.12%
Absolute Growth: 1,174
More on Wetumpka: Homes For Sale | Data
Wetumpka is a city in and the county seat of Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 6,528. In the early 21st century, Elmore County, long a rural area, became one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The city is considered part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Area.

Next 10 Cities

These Places Grew Up So Fast, You Know?

So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Alabama are led by Pike Road which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.

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!

For more Alabama reading, check out:

• 10 Safest Places In Alabama
• 10 Worst Places To Live In Alabama
• 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Alabama

Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Alabama

Rank	City	Pop 2016	Pop 2010	Growth	% Growth
1	Pike Road	7,790	5,072	2,718	53.6%
2	Chelsea	11,706	9,202	2,504	27.2%
3	Gulf Shores	11,252	9,035	2,217	24.5%
4	Calera	12,839	10,374	2,465	23.8%
5	Foley	16,741	13,570	3,171	23.4%
6	Tallassee	5,657	4,683	974	20.8%
7	Fairhope	17,996	14,927	3,069	20.6%
8	Auburn	60,318	51,057	9,261	18.1%
9	Spanish Fort	7,825	6,624	1,201	18.1%
10	Wetumpka	7,654	6,480	1,174	18.1%
11	Daphne	24,295	20,817	3,478	16.7%
12	Phenix City	36,990	31,704	5,286	16.7%
13	Athens	24,461	21,059	3,402	16.2%
14	Madison	46,396	40,293	6,103	15.1%
15	Robertsdale	5,776	5,052	724	14.3%
16	Helena	17,630	15,463	2,167	14.0%
17	Opelika	29,030	25,867	3,163	12.2%
18	Trussville	20,872	18,609	2,263	12.2%
19	Bay Minette	9,019	8,052	967	12.0%
20	Moody	12,464	11,138	1,326	11.9%
21	Orange Beach	5,791	5,185	606	11.7%
22	Pelham	22,596	20,346	2,250	11.1%
23	Enterprise	28,025	25,285	2,740	10.8%
24	Pell City	13,489	12,234	1,255	10.3%
25	Troy	18,944	17,207	1,737	10.1%
26	Tuscaloosa	96,352	87,663	8,689	9.9%
27	Fultondale	8,854	8,093	761	9.4%
28	Prattville	35,107	32,122	2,985	9.3%
29	Alabaster	32,269	29,550	2,719	9.2%
30	Northport	24,544	22,540	2,004	8.9%
31	Jacksonville	12,827	11,791	1,036	8.8%
32	Montevallo	6,633	6,101	532	8.7%
33	Huntsville	188,973	175,416	13,557	7.7%
34	Millbrook	15,045	14,034	1,011	7.2%
35	Hoover	84,100	78,543	5,557	7.1%
36	Lincoln	6,429	6,065	364	6.0%
37	Dothan	68,066	64,299	3,767	5.9%
38	Boaz	9,639	9,148	491	5.4%
39	Albertville	21,434	20,445	989	4.8%
40	Smiths Station	5,235	5,001	234	4.7%
41	Muscle Shoals	13,585	12,986	599	4.6%
42	Saraland	13,778	13,172	606	4.6%
43	Hartselle	14,475	13,840	635	4.6%
44	Pinson	7,451	7,143	308	4.3%
45	Arab	8,247	7,928	319	4.0%
46	Guntersville	8,360	8,077	283	3.5%
47	Leeds	11,701	11,314	387	3.4%
48	Cullman	15,156	14,685	471	3.2%
49	Oneonta	6,645	6,453	192	3.0%
50	Florence	39,938	38,821	1,117	2.9%
51	Vestavia Hills	34,243	33,305	938	2.8%
52	Southside	8,563	8,340	223	2.7%
53	Gardendale	13,750	13,420	330	2.5%
54	Pleasant Grove	10,284	10,048	236	2.3%
55	Tuscumbia	8,506	8,315	191	2.3%
56	Homewood	25,652	25,078	574	2.3%
57	Russellville	9,804	9,598	206	2.1%
58	Rainbow City	9,590	9,396	194	2.1%
59	Clanton	8,730	8,554	176	2.1%
60	Fort Payne	14,101	13,862	239	1.7%
61	Irondale	12,388	12,180	208	1.7%
62	Satsuma	6,159	6,057	102	1.7%
63	Clay	9,659	9,527	132	1.4%
64	Oxford	21,202	20,967	235	1.1%
65	Brewton	5,435	5,391	44	0.8%
66	Mountain Brook	20,532	20,381	151	0.7%
67	Atmore	10,067	10,008	59	0.6%
68	Andalusia	9,042	8,998	44	0.5%
69	Decatur	55,419	55,253	166	0.3%
70	Glencoe	5,122	5,107	15	0.3%
71	Daleville	5,160	5,157	3	0.1%
72	Alexander City	14,859	14,879	-20	-0.1%
73	Scottsboro	14,748	14,795	-47	-0.3%
74	Greenville	7,896	7,924	-28	-0.4%
75	Center Point	16,711	16,810	-99	-0.6%
76	Sylacauga	12,696	12,789	-93	-0.7%
77	Sheffield	9,067	9,141	-74	-0.8%
78	Valley	9,439	9,527	-88	-0.9%
79	Mobile	193,717	195,619	-1,902	-1.0%
80	Opp	6,635	6,701	-66	-1.0%
81	Jasper	14,137	14,307	-170	-1.2%
82	Hamilton	6,784	6,868	-84	-1.2%
83	Talladega	15,793	15,993	-200	-1.3%
84	Ozark	14,721	14,909	-188	-1.3%
85	Hueytown	15,797	16,032	-235	-1.5%
86	Montgomery	201,717	204,788	-3,071	-1.5%
87	Birmingham	212,424	216,392	-3,968	-1.8%
88	Midfield	5,260	5,384	-124	-2.3%
89	Gadsden	36,235	37,162	-927	-2.5%
90	Roanoke	5,987	6,154	-167	-2.7%
91	Chickasaw	5,955	6,128	-173	-2.8%
92	Fairfield	10,937	11,284	-347	-3.1%
93	Attalla	5,934	6,143	-209	-3.4%
94	Bessemer	26,856	27,824	-968	-3.5%
95	Childersburg	5,062	5,249	-187	-3.6%
96	Anniston	22,441	23,297	-856	-3.7%
97	Tarrant	6,271	6,524	-253	-3.9%
98	Lanett	6,454	6,722	-268	-4.0%
99	Eufaula	12,688	13,228	-540	-4.1%
100	Selma	19,650	20,591	-941	-4.6%