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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 Tallassee and Rainsville, 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 2020 according to the most recent census data:
What's the fastest growing city in Alabama for 2020? Based on the most recent ACS data, Pike Road ranks as the fastest growing city in Alabama. 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.
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.
For more Alabama state reading:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Alabama For 2020
/10
Population: 8,884
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,072
Percent Growth 75.2%
Absolute Growth: 3,812
More on Pike Road: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,643
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 9,202
Percent Growth 37.4%
Absolute Growth: 3,441
More on Chelsea: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 20,327
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 14,927
Percent Growth 36.2%
Absolute Growth: 5,400
More on Fairhope: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
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.
GulfShoresAlBeachJuly08
| GFDL/10
Population: 12,033
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 2)
Population 2010: 9,035
Percent Growth 33.2%
Absolute Growth: 2,998
More on Gulf Shores: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 17,818
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 13,570
Percent Growth 31.3%
Absolute Growth: 4,248
More on Foley: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
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.
/10
Population: 13,557
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 10,374
Percent Growth 30.7%
Absolute Growth: 3,183
More on Calera: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
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.
/10
Population: 6,521
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 8)
Population 2010: 5,052
Percent Growth 29.1%
Absolute Growth: 1,469
More on Robertsdale: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 8,324
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 6,624
Percent Growth 25.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,700
More on Spanish Fort: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
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
Population: 8,117
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 6,480
Percent Growth 25.3%
Absolute Growth: 1,637
More on Wetumpka: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
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
Population: 62,996
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 51,057
Percent Growth 23.4%
Absolute Growth: 11,939
More on Auburn: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
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.
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Heart Of Dixie for 2020
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine 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 2018)
We ranked all 104 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:
[Current Population - Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
Here's a graph of the cities in Alabama with the largest percent increase in population:
These Places Grew Up So Fast In Alabama, 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!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Tuskegee
- Monroeville
- Selma
For more Alabama reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Alabama For 2020
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pike Road | 75.2% |
| 2 | Chelsea | 37.4% |
| 3 | Fairhope | 36.2% |
| 4 | Gulf Shores | 33.2% |
| 5 | Foley | 31.3% |
| 6 | Calera | 30.7% |
| 7 | Robertsdale | 29.1% |
| 8 | Spanish Fort | 25.7% |
| 9 | Wetumpka | 25.3% |
| 10 | Auburn | 23.4% |
