If I gave you 10 guesses about what Missouri's fastest-growing place is, I don't think most people would get it right because it's a true surprise and was to me also. I guessed Kansas City or one of the nearby areas and I was wrong.

I saw this interesting data that was shared on the Missouri sub-Reddit. It's the largest population gains in Missouri in the past 4 years.

Largest population gains by Missouri city 2020-2023
byu/como365 inmissouri

Did you guess Columbia would have the biggest jump since 2020? I didn't. I knew Lee's Summit and the Wentzville area was growing and O'Fallon is very fashionable these days, but had no idea Columbia has made the largest population jump. I really did not expect Kansas City to only be at #5 on this list. I know the cost of living is growing in that part of Missouri, too, but would have thought the sheer number of people moving there would have been higher.

I saw someone mention that Kansas City (the area not the city) would have been higher if the suburbs were counted. That's likely true. As it stands, the middle of Missouri is the growth place and it's not just all Mizzou students either.

Mid Rivers - The Missouri Mall That Isn't Dead Yet

Gallery Credit: Slacking Packing via YouTube

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