These Are The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Alabama For 2019


We used data and science to determine the places in Alabama everyone wants to move to today.

Chris Kolmar, About HomeSnacks
December 10, 2018 - 7,515 views
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Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2019. This is our fourth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Alabama.

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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 Rainsville and Glencoe, 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 2019 according to the most recent census data:

  1. Pike Road (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  2. Chelsea (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  3. Fairhope (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  4. Foley (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  5. Calera (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  6. Gulf Shores (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  7. Spanish Fort (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  8. Auburn (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  9. Wetumpka (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  10. Daphne (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 2017
  • Population in 2010
  • Growth rate from 2010 to 2017 (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2018)
10 Safest Places In Alabama

We ranked all 103 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 2017 – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]

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

Click to enlarge

1. Pike Road

Pike Road, Alabama

Source: Wikipedia User Rivers A. Langl | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 8,417
Population 2010: 5,072
Growth Rate: 65.95%
Absolute Growth: 3,345
More on Pike Road: Homes For Sale | Data

2. Chelsea

Chelsea, Alabama

Source: Wikipedia User Rivers Langley; | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 12,199
Population 2010: 9,202
Growth Rate: 32.57%
Absolute Growth: 2,997
More on Chelsea: Homes For Sale | Data

3. Fairhope

Fairhope, Alabama

Source: Flickr User faungg’s photos | CC BY-ND 2.0

Population: 19,561
Population 2010: 14,927
Growth Rate: 31.04%
Absolute Growth: 4,634
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.

4. Foley

Foley, Alabama

Source: Wikipedia User Chris Pruitt | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 17,315
Population 2010: 13,570
Growth Rate: 27.6%
Absolute Growth: 3,745
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.

5. Calera

Calera, Alabama

Source: Wikipedia User Chris Pruitt | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 13,216
Population 2010: 10,374
Growth Rate: 27.4%
Absolute Growth: 2,842
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.

6. Gulf Shores

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Source: Wikipedia User

GulfShoresAlB | GFDL

Population: 11,358
Population 2010: 9,035
Growth Rate: 25.71%
Absolute Growth: 2,323
More on Gulf Shores: Homes For Sale | Data

7. Spanish Fort

Spanish Fort, Alabama

Source: Wikipedia User JodyB | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 8,017
Population 2010: 6,624
Growth Rate: 21.03%
Absolute Growth: 1,393
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.

8. Auburn

Auburn, Alabama

Source: Public domain

Population: 61,462
Population 2010: 51,057
Growth Rate: 20.38%
Absolute Growth: 10,405
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. Wetumpka

Wetumpka, Alabama

Source: Public domain

Population: 7,799
Population 2010: 6,480
Growth Rate: 20.35%
Absolute Growth: 1,319
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.

10. Daphne

Daphne, Alabama

Source: Public domain

Population: 24,685
Population 2010: 20,817
Growth Rate: 18.58%
Absolute Growth: 3,868
More on Daphne: Homes For Sale | Data
Daphne (/dæfni/) is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay. The city is located along I-10, 11 miles east of Mobile and 170 miles southwest of the state capital of Montgomery. The 2010 United States Census lists the population of the city as 21,570, making Daphne the most populous city in Baldwin County. It is a principal city of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metropolitan area, which includes all of Baldwin County.

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:

Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Alabama

Rank City Pop 2017 Pop 2010 Growth % Growth
1 Pike Road 8,417 5,072 3,345 66.0%
2 Chelsea 12,199 9,202 2,997 32.6%
3 Fairhope 19,561 14,927 4,634 31.0%
4 Foley 17,315 13,570 3,745 27.6%
5 Calera 13,216 10,374 2,842 27.4%
6 Gulf Shores 11,358 9,035 2,323 25.7%
7 Spanish Fort 8,017 6,624 1,393 21.0%
8 Auburn 61,462 51,057 10,405 20.4%
9 Wetumpka 7,799 6,480 1,319 20.4%
10 Daphne 24,685 20,817 3,868 18.6%
11 Athens 24,735 21,059 3,676 17.5%
12 Madison 47,079 40,293 6,786 16.8%
13 Phenix City 36,870 31,704 5,166 16.3%
14 Helena 17,928 15,463 2,465 15.9%
15 Robertsdale 5,853 5,052 801 15.9%
16 Trussville 21,145 18,609 2,536 13.6%
17 Opelika 29,372 25,867 3,505 13.6%
18 Moody 12,585 11,138 1,447 13.0%
19 Pelham 22,941 20,346 2,595 12.8%
20 Orange Beach 5,826 5,185 641 12.4%
21 Bay Minette 8,990 8,052 938 11.6%
22 Fultondale 9,012 8,093 919 11.4%
23 Tuscaloosa 97,373 87,663 9,710 11.1%
24 Troy 19,010 17,207 1,803 10.5%
25 Alabaster 32,567 29,550 3,017 10.2%
26 Pell City 13,465 12,234 1,231 10.1%
27 Enterprise 27,776 25,285 2,491 9.9%
28 Prattville 35,286 32,122 3,164 9.8%
29 Northport 24,708 22,540 2,168 9.6%
30 Montevallo 6,626 6,101 525 8.6%
31 Huntsville 190,501 175,416 15,085 8.6%
32 Jacksonville 12,731 11,791 940 8.0%
33 Lincoln 6,544 6,065 479 7.9%
34 Hoover 84,150 78,543 5,607 7.1%
35 Millbrook 14,994 14,034 960 6.8%
36 Saraland 14,026 13,172 854 6.5%
37 Smiths Station 5,311 5,001 310 6.2%
38 Pinson 7,563 7,143 420 5.9%
39 Muscle Shoals 13,701 12,986 715 5.5%
40 Dothan 67,784 64,299 3,485 5.4%
41 Boaz 9,580 9,148 432 4.7%
42 Leeds 11,847 11,314 533 4.7%
43 Albertville 21,342 20,445 897 4.4%
44 Southside 8,679 8,340 339 4.1%
45 Hartselle 14,395 13,840 555 4.0%
46 Arab 8,200 7,928 272 3.4%
47 Guntersville 8,333 8,077 256 3.2%
48 Cullman 15,111 14,685 426 2.9%
49 Gardendale 13,799 13,420 379 2.8%
50 Florence 39,824 38,821 1,003 2.6%
51 Homewood 25,678 25,078 600 2.4%
52 Rainsville 5,012 4,895 117 2.4%
53 Irondale 12,453 12,180 273 2.2%
54 Vestavia Hills 34,003 33,305 698 2.1%
55 Oneonta 6,585 6,453 132 2.0%
56 Pleasant Grove 10,224 10,048 176 1.8%
57 Rainbow City 9,560 9,396 164 1.7%
58 Clanton 8,701 8,554 147 1.7%
59 Clay 9,685 9,527 158 1.7%
60 Tuscumbia 8,452 8,315 137 1.6%
61 Satsuma 6,145 6,057 88 1.5%
62 Oxford 21,231 20,967 264 1.3%
63 Russellville 9,715 9,598 117 1.2%
64 Fort Payne 14,017 13,862 155 1.1%
65 Mountain Brook 20,438 20,381 57 0.3%
66 Glencoe 5,116 5,107 9 0.2%
67 Daleville 5,138 5,157 -19 -0.4%
68 Atmore 9,969 10,008 -39 -0.4%
69 Decatur 54,844 55,253 -409 -0.7%
70 Andalusia 8,918 8,998 -80 -0.9%
71 Alexander City 14,705 14,879 -174 -1.2%
72 Scottsboro 14,584 14,795 -211 -1.4%
73 Center Point 16,564 16,810 -246 -1.5%
74 Sheffield 9,007 9,141 -134 -1.5%
75 Talladega 15,747 15,993 -246 -1.5%
76 Opp 6,580 6,701 -121 -1.8%
77 Mobile 192,085 195,619 -3,534 -1.8%
78 Birmingham 212,265 216,392 -4,127 -1.9%
79 Montgomery 200,761 204,788 -4,027 -2.0%
80 Greenville 7,766 7,924 -158 -2.0%
81 Valley 9,331 9,527 -196 -2.1%
82 Brewton 5,279 5,391 -112 -2.1%
83 Hueytown 15,698 16,032 -334 -2.1%
84 Hamilton 6,718 6,868 -150 -2.2%
85 Sylacauga 12,492 12,789 -297 -2.3%
86 Ozark 14,546 14,909 -363 -2.4%
87 Jasper 13,854 14,307 -453 -3.2%
88 Gadsden 35,832 37,162 -1,330 -3.6%
89 Roanoke 5,925 6,154 -229 -3.7%
90 Fairfield 10,850 11,284 -434 -3.8%
91 Chickasaw 5,889 6,128 -239 -3.9%
92 Midfield 5,174 5,384 -210 -3.9%
93 Bessemer 26,697 27,824 -1,127 -4.1%
94 Attalla 5,884 6,143 -259 -4.2%
95 Tarrant 6,238 6,524 -286 -4.4%
96 Anniston 22,097 23,297 -1,200 -5.2%
97 Lanett 6,341 6,722 -381 -5.7%
98 Eufaula 12,467 13,228 -761 -5.8%
99 Prichard 22,063 23,599 -1,536 -6.5%
100 Selma 19,176 20,591 -1,415 -6.9%

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