Prince William County Community Named Second Top U.S. City For Population Growth

WOODBRIDGE, VA — The Northern Virginia region has experienced population growth over the decade, but one community stands out for a spike in residents.

Storage Cafe, ranked Woodbridge second among 100 U.S. boomtowns for population growth. The storage space marketplace analyzed more than 2,500 U.S. cities with at least 10,000 residents and looked at how population growth correlated with housing affordability, storage availability and economic opportunity. Cities were ranked based on population changes from 2014 to 2023.

The ranking noted Woodbridge had a 860 percent population growth from 2014 to 2023. According to U.S. Census data, the Woodbridge census-designed place had a 4,055 population recorded in 2010. The last Census in 2020 reported a 44,668 population.

So what drove the spike in residents in Woodbridge?

According to Storage Cafe, Woodbridge increased its housing supply by seven times between 2013 and 2022. The ranking noted the outer suburb of D.C. has an appealing location with access to jobs and amenities.

"Despite its rapid growth, home prices remain more affordable than in D.C., with the average home in Woodbridge priced at $488K, compared to $601K in the nation’s capital," Storage Cafe noted. "Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., itself saw a much more modest 6% growth rate over the same decade."

Although Woodbridge has seen growth in housing supply, the growth of storage spaces hasn't kept pace with the new population. Storage Cafe noted Woodbridge's storage infrastructure increased by 40 percent in the 10-year period. The community offers an estimated 5 square feet of storage space per resident, which is below the national average of 7 square feet.

Texas had a significant presence in the fastest-growing cities ranking, with seven places in the top 10. Other top 10 communities were from the South — one in Florida and one in Tennessee.

The top 10 cities were:

1. Fulshear, TX
2. Woodbridge, VA
3. Celina, TX
4. Davenport, FL
5. Melissa, TX
6. Manor, TX
7. Princeton, TX
8. Prosper, TX
9. Fate, TX
10. Nolensville, TN