Business & Tech
These Are Twin Cities Metro's Fastest Growing And Shrinking Towns
Residents of the seven-county Twin Cities metro area are on the move. Here's where they're leaving and where they're going.
TWIN CITIES, MN — Residents of the seven-county Twin Cities metro area are on the move.
Over the past three years, it packed in nearly 60,000 new residents, bringing the population from 3.16 million in 2020 to a lively 3.22 million in 2023.
But while some towns are riding the growth wave, others are losing people just as fast. So, who's booming and who's busting?
Find out what's happening in Lakevillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Generally, residents seem to be moving out of the west metro suburbs and are heading into the southeast parts of the metro.
Let’s take a closer look at the winners and losers in the population race.
Find out what's happening in Lakevillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
These are the fastest-growing cities in the Twin Cities metro area:
1. Lakeville
- 2020 population: 69,490
- 2023 population: 75,217
- Net gain: 5,727
2. Cottage Grove
- 2020 population: 38,839
- 2023 population: 42,648
- Net gain: 3,809
3. Minneapolis
- 2020 population: 429,956
- 2023 population: 433,633
- Net gain: 3,677
4. Woodbury
- 2020 population: 75,102
- 2023 population: 78,740
- Net gain: 3,638
5. Blaine
- 2020 population: 70,222
- 2023 population: 73,546
- Net gain: 3,324
These towns are shrinking fastest in the metro:
1. Brooklyn Park
- 2020 population: 86,478
- 2023 population: 83,874
- Net loss: -2,604
2. St. Louis Park
- 2020 population: 50,010
- 2023 population: 49,345
- Net loss: -665
3. Hopkins
- 2020 population: 19,084
- 2023 population: 18,441
- Net loss: -643
4. St. Paul
- 2020 population: 311,527
- 2023 population: 310,997
- Net loss: -530
5. Plymouth
- 2020 population: 81,026
- 2023 population: 80,546
- Net loss: -480
Here is a county-by-county population breakdown
Ramsey County
- 2020 population: 552,352
- 2023 population: 553,409
- Net gain: 1,057
Scott County
- 2020 population: 150,928
- 2023 population: 156,529
- Net gain: 5,601
Carver County
- 2020 population: 106,922
- 2023 population: 113,332
- Net gain: 6,410
Anoka County
- 2020 population: 363,887
- 2023 population: 371,269
- Net gain: 7,382
Dakota County:
- 2020 population: 439,882
- 2023 population: 449,658
- Net gain: 9,776
Washington County
- 2020 population: 267,568
- 2023 population: 280,411
- Net gain: 12,843
Hennepin County
- 2020 population: 1,281,565
- 2023 population: 1,297,847
- Net gain: 16,282
Check out Met Council data from every town in the metro here.
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