Key takeaways
- Celina, Texas, was the fastest-growing city of 20,000 or more, up 24.6% in one year; the top five were all in Texas.
- Charlotte added the most residents of any city (20,731), and Fort Worth passed 1 million.
- Jasper County, South Carolina, grew fastest among counties; Harris County, Texas, added the most people (48,695).
- Growth slowed nationally, but suburbs and outer-ring places kept growing fast, and that's where new government spending follows.
Population growth drives local government spending. When a city or county adds thousands of residents a year, it needs new roads, water and sewer lines, schools, public safety, permitting staff and software. Here are the places growing fastest, from the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates for July 1, 2025.
Fastest-growing cities
Percent growth from July 2024 to July 2025, among cities and towns with at least 20,000 residents.
| # | City | State | Growth | 2025 population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CelinaCollin and Denton counties, Dallas-Fort Worth | TX | +24.6% | 64,427 |
| 2 | FulshearFort Bend County, Houston | TX | +21.0% | 64,630 |
| 3 | PrincetonCollin County, Dallas-Fort Worth | TX | +18.1% | 43,524 |
| 4 | MelissaCollin County, Dallas-Fort Worth | TX | +14.5% | 29,969 |
| 5 | AnnaCollin County, Dallas-Fort Worth | TX | +10.2% | 35,245 |
| 6 | Haines CityPolk County, Lakeland | FL | +10.0% | 45,973 |
| 7 | WaukeeDallas County, Des Moines | IA | +9.3% | 34,890 |
| 8 | ForneyKaufman County, Dallas-Fort Worth | TX | +8.5% | 41,658 |
| 9 | Eagle MountainUtah County, Provo-Orem | UT | +8.5% | 66,557 |
| 10 | JohnstownWeld and Larimer counties, northern Colorado | CO | +8.4% | 22,433 |
| 11 | KunaAda County, Boise | ID | +8.4% | 31,525 |
| 12 | Queen CreekMaricopa and Pinal counties, Phoenix | AZ | +8.2% | 89,770 |
| 13 | HuttoWilliamson County, Austin | TX | +7.9% | 46,048 |
| 14 | FoleyBaldwin County, Gulf Coast | AL | +7.8% | 30,354 |
| 15 | GreenvilleHunt County, Dallas-Fort Worth | TX | +7.5% | 37,069 |
Cities adding the most residents
Numeric growth from July 2024 to July 2025. Larger cities show up here even when their growth rate is modest.
| # | City | State | Residents added | 2025 population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CharlotteMecklenburg County | NC | +20,731 | 964,784 |
| 2 | Fort WorthTarrant County | TX | +19,512 | 1,028,117 |
| 3 | San AntonioBexar County | TX | +14,359 | 1,548,422 |
| 4 | CelinaCollin and Denton counties | TX | +12,710 | 64,427 |
| 5 | SeattleKing County | WA | +11,572 | 784,777 |
| 6 | HoustonHarris County | TX | +11,515 | 2,397,315 |
| 7 | FulshearFort Bend County | TX | +11,196 | 64,630 |
| 8 | Nashville-Davidson (balance)Davidson County | TN | +9,244 | 721,074 |
| 9 | Port St. LucieSt. Lucie County | FL | +9,131 | 268,062 |
| 10 | McKinneyCollin County | TX | +8,504 | 236,001 |
| 11 | AtlantaFulton and DeKalb counties | GA | +8,350 | 529,110 |
| 12 | JacksonvilleDuval County | FL | +8,319 | 1,017,689 |
| 13 | SurpriseMaricopa County | AZ | +7,702 | 175,304 |
| 14 | ColumbusFranklin County | OH | +7,696 | 938,396 |
| 15 | GoodyearMaricopa County | AZ | +7,690 | 125,359 |
Fastest-growing counties
Percent growth from July 2024 to July 2025, among counties with at least 20,000 residents.
| # | County | State | Growth | 2025 population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasper CountyHilton Head-Bluffton area | SC | +6.0% | 38,533 |
| 2 | Waller CountyHouston metro | TX | +5.7% | 69,858 |
| 3 | Kaufman CountyDallas-Fort Worth metro | TX | +5.7% | 209,235 |
| 4 | Jackson CountyAtlanta metro | GA | +5.3% | 99,265 |
| 5 | Long CountyHinesville-Savannah area | GA | +5.2% | 21,557 |
| 6 | Brunswick CountyMyrtle Beach-Wilmington area | NC | +4.7% | 174,702 |
| 7 | Pinal CountyPhoenix metro | AZ | +4.6% | 539,380 |
| 8 | Liberty CountyHouston metro | TX | +4.4% | 121,364 |
| 9 | Dawson CountyAtlanta metro | GA | +4.2% | 35,365 |
| 10 | Caldwell CountyAustin metro | TX | +4.2% | 55,150 |
Counties adding the most residents
| # | County | State | Residents added | 2025 population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harris CountyHouston | TX | +48,695 | 5,045,026 |
| 2 | Collin CountyDallas-Fort Worth | TX | +42,966 | 1,297,179 |
| 3 | Maricopa CountyPhoenix | AZ | +35,411 | 4,689,558 |
| 4 | Montgomery CountyHouston | TX | +30,011 | 781,194 |
| 5 | Wake CountyRaleigh | NC | +27,760 | 1,257,235 |
| 6 | King CountySeattle | WA | +26,980 | 2,344,939 |
| 7 | Mecklenburg CountyCharlotte | NC | +26,554 | 1,233,383 |
| 8 | Fort Bend CountyHouston | TX | +24,163 | 975,191 |
| 9 | Williamson CountyAustin | TX | +23,814 | 752,827 |
| 10 | Pinal CountyPhoenix | AZ | +23,654 | 539,380 |
Source: US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, county release (March 26, 2026) and city and town release (May 14, 2026). Estimates are for July 1 of each year and are revised each year as new data come in. For full rankings, see our 100 largest cities and 100 largest counties.
What the 2025 numbers show
- Growth slowed. Average growth fell in cities of every size, and most sharply in cities of 250,000 or more, where the average gain dropped from about 7,700 residents to about 2,000.
- The edges are growing. The fastest growth was on the outer edges of big metros, especially north of Dallas, where Celina, Princeton, Melissa and Anna all sit in Collin County.
- The South leads. Southern cities claimed 10 of the 15 fastest-growing spots and 11 of the 12 largest numeric gains.
- Metro leaders. Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth each added more than 120,000 people; Ocala, Florida, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, grew fastest by percentage.
What fast growth means for government sales
- Capital programs and bonds. Fast-growing cities, counties and school districts put bonds before voters for roads, schools, parks and public safety buildings, and those programs fund years of contracts.
- Water and wastewater. New development requires new treatment capacity, lines and meters, often through utility districts and impact fees.
- First-time buyers. Small towns that suddenly become cities of 50,000 need permitting, finance, HR and public safety systems they never had, and they often hire their first IT and procurement staff.
- Public safety expansion. New police and fire stations, vehicles, radios and 911 capacity follow population.
- Schools. Fast-growing school districts open new campuses every year and buy furniture, technology, buses and security for each.
How KSG helps
Kensington Sales Group's SDRs book meetings with public agencies across Federal, SLED, K-12 & Higher Ed, Healthcare, Tribal, Special Districts and Utilities. We help vendors find fast-growing cities, counties and districts early and reach the city managers, finance directors, public works and IT leaders running their growth. See how our B2G lead generation works.