(NEXSTAR) – A small Midwestern community once known as the “Raccoon Capital of the World” is now the fastest-growing town in Missouri, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Rogersville is located in the southern part of Missouri near Springfield and has a population of about 5,087 people. It experienced a 30% population growth between July 2020 and July 2023, the highest growth rate in Missouri during that period.
Fourteen other municipalities in Missouri with at least 5,000 residents also saw significant population growth rates of 7% or more within the same three-year period.
Despite St. Louis experiencing a 6% decline in its population, some smaller neighboring towns and cities like Troy, Herculaneum, Eureka, Lake St. Louis, Wright City, Warrenton, and Dardenne Prairie saw higher growth rates.
In the Kansas City metropolitan area, five suburbs, including North Kansas City, Parkville, Raymore, Oak Grove, and Peculiar, were among the 15 fastest-growing cities in the state. The population of KCMO showed a slight increase from 508,220 to 510,704.
Although Rogersville is the fastest-growing town in Missouri, its population ranked as the smallest among the top 15 growing municipalities.
Small towns in the Midwest and Northeast experienced slower rates of population decline in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the Census Bureau.
There has been a shift in Americans’ preference for smaller communities, as indicated by a Gallup poll conducted in late 2020. This shift is believed to be influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Missouri’s overall population, which consists of nearly 100 rural counties, is just under 6.2 million according to the latest census estimates, showing a 0.68% increase from 2020.
To check the population changes in your Missouri city, town, or village, refer to the table below.
