What are the fastest-growing metro areas in Missouri?
Springfield, MO (+5.1%), Joplin, MO-KS (+3.9%) and Columbia, MO (+3.9%) grew fastest among Missouri metro areas between 2020 and 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 8 ranked Missouri metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Change 2020–25 | People added | Residents 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield, MO | +5.1% | +24,315 | 500,694 |
| 2 | Joplin, MO-KS | +3.9% | +7,906 | 208,796 |
| 3 | Columbia, MO | +3.9% | +8,205 | 219,062 |
| 4 | Kansas City, MO-KS | +3.4% | +75,441 | 2,270,682 |
| 5 | Jefferson City, MO | +2.2% | +3,292 | 152,712 |
| 6 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | +1.7% | +1,676 | 99,215 |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO-IL | −0.2% | −5,390 | 2,814,421 |
| 8 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | −2.0% | −2,486 | 119,170 |
How this is ranked
The percentage change in the Census Bureau's July 1 resident population estimates between 2020 and 2025, with the number of people added. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
Get the report for any Missouri county — $99
The County Growth and Demographics Report for any county as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.
Every purchase also includes a CSV of every table in the report, ready for a spreadsheet.
- Not useful? Email us within 14 days for a full refund
- Sold by Simply Stats LLC (NC)
- Secure Stripe checkout (Apple Pay/Google Pay)
- Instant PDF download
- PDF + CSV of every table
Refund terms: Terms. · How we compute every number
Questions
Which metro area in Missouri is growing fastest?
Springfield, MO: +5.1%, ahead of Joplin, MO-KS (+3.9%) and Columbia, MO (+3.9%), of 8 Missouri metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
The percentage change in the Census Bureau's July 1 resident population estimates between 2020 and 2025, with the number of people added. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.