These are the 15 fastest growing cities in the U.S.

Ryan Kushner, Editor

May 20, 2024

15 Slides
Celina, Texas

Thirteen of the 15 fastest growing cities in the U.S. in 2023 are in the South, according to the Vintage 2023 Population Estimates released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The percentage estimates were for cities with populations of 20,000 or more.

“The population growth across the South in 2023 was driven by significant numeric and percentage gains among its cities,” Census Bureau Statistician Crystal Delbé said in a statement. Eight of the fastest growing cities were in Texas alone.

San Antonio, Texas, meanwhile, had the largest numeric growth in 2023, its population surging by 22,000. It was followed by Fort Worth, Texas, which had a gain of 21,365, and Charlotte, N.C., which added 15,607.

The study also found that the U.S. “remained a nation of mostly smaller communities” in 2023, with 75% of the approximately 19,500 incorporated places consisting of less than 5,000 people.

“On average, these small towns experienced uneven population change across the U.S. regions,” the Census Bureau stated. “In particular, small towns in the Midwest and Northeast experienced lower rates of decline in 2023, decreasing by an average of 0.3% and 0.1%, respectively, compared to 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively, in 2022.”

New York City remained the largest U.S. city in 2023 with a population of 8.3 million, followed by Los Angeles with 4 million and Chicago with 2.7 million.

To see the list of the 15 fastest growing cities in 2023, click the gallery above.

About the Author

Ryan Kushner

Editor, American City & County

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