County facts · Population growth · October 24, 2026
Fastest Growing Counties in the Midwest, 2020 to 2025
The fastest growing Midwest counties from April 2020 to July 2025 by percent and people added, state by state, with each official parcel map.
Looking for the fastest growing counties in the Midwest? The Census Bureau's Midwest region is 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Together its 1,055 counties and county equivalents went from about 68,999,462 residents on April 1, 2020 to 69,762,666 on July 1, 2025 (+763,204, +1.1%), according to the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates.
The fastest growing county by percent was Dallas County, Iowa (+18.8%), and Hamilton County, Indiana added the most people (+39,546). 522 of the 1,055 counties grew and 532 lost residents. Each table links the county's Platbookmapper page and its official parcel viewer.
The 25 fastest growing Midwest counties by percent
| # | County | State | Apr 2020 | Jul 2025 | Change | % change | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas County | Iowa | 99,721 | 118,457 | +18,736 | +18.8% | county web map |
| 2 | Lincoln County | South Dakota | 65,159 | 77,145 | +11,986 | +18.4% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 3 | Union County | Ohio | 62,795 | 73,446 | +10,651 | +17.0% | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 4 | Lawrence County | South Dakota | 25,771 | 29,459 | +3,688 | +14.3% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 5 | Boone County | Indiana | 70,786 | 80,689 | +9,903 | +14.0% | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 6 | Hancock County | Indiana | 79,828 | 90,969 | +11,141 | +14.0% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 7 | Billings County | North Dakota | 943 | 1,071 | +128 | +13.6% | county web map |
| 8 | Custer County | South Dakota | 8,319 | 9,431 | +1,112 | +13.4% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 9 | Delaware County | Ohio | 214,141 | 242,032 | +27,891 | +13.0% | county web map |
| 10 | Lincoln County | Missouri | 59,564 | 66,676 | +7,112 | +11.9% | CAMAvision Maps |
| 11 | Hamlin County | South Dakota | 6,171 | 6,900 | +729 | +11.8% | planning-district WebGIS |
| 12 | Wright County | Minnesota | 141,337 | 157,559 | +16,222 | +11.5% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 13 | Mellette County | South Dakota | 1,918 | 2,137 | +219 | +11.4% | planning-district WebGIS |
| 14 | Hamilton County | Indiana | 347,490 | 387,036 | +39,546 | +11.4% | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 15 | Hendricks County | Indiana | 174,815 | 193,510 | +18,695 | +10.7% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 16 | Kendall County | Illinois | 131,876 | 145,470 | +13,594 | +10.3% | county web map |
| 17 | Webster County | Missouri | 39,087 | 43,054 | +3,967 | +10.1% | IntegrityGIS |
| 18 | Warren County | Missouri | 35,533 | 39,016 | +3,483 | +9.8% | IntegrityGIS |
| 19 | Brookings County | South Dakota | 34,364 | 37,635 | +3,271 | +9.5% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 20 | Warren County | Iowa | 52,401 | 57,331 | +4,930 | +9.4% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 21 | Cass County | North Dakota | 184,533 | 201,794 | +17,261 | +9.4% | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 22 | Sarpy County | Nebraska | 190,607 | 208,303 | +17,696 | +9.3% | county web map |
| 23 | Hickory County | Missouri | 8,279 | 9,044 | +765 | +9.2% | BreezeMaps |
| 24 | Lake County | Michigan | 12,091 | 13,182 | +1,091 | +9.0% | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 25 | Christian County | Missouri | 88,841 | 96,725 | +7,884 | +8.9% | IntegrityGIS |
By state, the top 25 includes South Dakota (6), Missouri (5), Indiana (4), Iowa (2), Ohio (2), North Dakota (2), Minnesota (1), Illinois (1), Nebraska (1) and Michigan (1).
The 15 Midwest counties that added the most people
| # | County | State | People added | % change | Jul 2025 | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton County | Indiana | +39,546 | +11.4% | 387,036 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 2 | Franklin County | Ohio | +37,743 | +2.9% | 1,361,536 | county web map |
| 3 | Dane County | Wisconsin | +28,868 | +5.1% | 590,375 | listed link under review |
| 4 | Delaware County | Ohio | +27,891 | +13.0% | 242,032 | county web map |
| 5 | Johnson County | Kansas | +27,041 | +4.4% | 636,906 | county web map |
| 6 | Polk County | Iowa | +24,157 | +4.9% | 516,546 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 7 | Douglas County | Nebraska | +21,933 | +3.8% | 606,460 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 8 | St. Charles County | Missouri | +21,233 | +5.2% | 426,499 | county web map |
| 9 | Washington County | Minnesota | +19,330 | +7.2% | 286,895 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 10 | Dallas County | Iowa | +18,736 | +18.8% | 118,457 | county web map |
| 11 | Hendricks County | Indiana | +18,695 | +10.7% | 193,510 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 12 | Dakota County | Minnesota | +17,824 | +4.1% | 457,710 | county web map |
| 13 | Anoka County | Minnesota | +17,720 | +4.9% | 381,605 | county web map |
| 14 | Sarpy County | Nebraska | +17,696 | +9.3% | 208,303 | county web map |
| 15 | Kent County | Michigan | +17,267 | +2.6% | 675,232 | county web map |
These 15 added about 355,680 residents between them.
Fastest growing among counties with 100,000+ residents
Small counties can post big percentages on a modest number of newcomers. Limited to counties with at least 100,000 residents in July 2025:
| # | County | State | % change | People added | Jul 2025 | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas County | Iowa | +18.8% | +18,736 | 118,457 | county web map |
| 2 | Delaware County | Ohio | +13.0% | +27,891 | 242,032 | county web map |
| 3 | Wright County | Minnesota | +11.5% | +16,222 | 157,559 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 4 | Hamilton County | Indiana | +11.4% | +39,546 | 387,036 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 5 | Hendricks County | Indiana | +10.7% | +18,695 | 193,510 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 6 | Kendall County | Illinois | +10.3% | +13,594 | 145,470 | county web map |
| 7 | Cass County | North Dakota | +9.4% | +17,261 | 201,794 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 8 | Sarpy County | Nebraska | +9.3% | +17,696 | 208,303 | county web map |
| 9 | Minnehaha County | South Dakota | +7.9% | +15,486 | 212,691 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 10 | Johnson County | Indiana | +7.7% | +12,486 | 174,262 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
Where the growth came from
Totals for April 2020 to July 2025 in the 10 fastest growing Midwest counties, split into births minus deaths, net moves from elsewhere in the US and net moves from abroad:
| County | Births minus deaths | Net domestic moves | Net international moves | Total change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County, Iowa | +3,854 | +12,787 | +2,079 | +18,736 |
| Lincoln County, South Dakota | +2,001 | +9,569 | +344 | +11,986 |
| Union County, Ohio | +1,405 | +8,496 | +732 | +10,651 |
| Lawrence County, South Dakota | −413 | +3,777 | +231 | +3,688 |
| Boone County, Indiana | +995 | +8,435 | +504 | +9,903 |
| Hancock County, Indiana | +225 | +10,480 | +406 | +11,141 |
| Billings County, North Dakota | +28 | +98 | 0 | +128 |
| Custer County, South Dakota | −146 | +1,198 | +62 | +1,112 |
| Delaware County, Ohio | +2,909 | +20,621 | +4,426 | +27,891 |
| Lincoln County, Missouri | +862 | +6,075 | +158 | +7,112 |
In all 10, moves from elsewhere in the US were the biggest source of growth. The parts do not add up exactly to the total because the Census Bureau also carries a small residual.
The last year alone: July 2024 to July 2025
Counties with at least 10,000 residents in July 2024, ranked by one-year growth. The region as a whole changed by +244,385 (+0.4%) that year.
- Dallas County, Iowa: +3.2% (+3,645)
- Lincoln County, South Dakota: +2.7% (+2,022)
- McKenzie County, North Dakota: +2.7% (+394)
- Madison County, Ohio: +2.6% (+1,197)
- Lawrence County, South Dakota: +2.6% (+750)
- Boone County, Indiana: +2.6% (+2,049)
- Williams County, North Dakota: +2.5% (+1,012)
- Geary County, Kansas: +2.5% (+873)
- Hancock County, Indiana: +2.4% (+2,092)
- Webster County, Missouri: +2.3% (+970)
Growth by state
How many counties grew in each Midwest state between April 2020 and July 2025, with the statewide change. State names link to our fastest-growing-counties guide for that state.
| State | Counties that grew | Counties | Statewide change | Fastest growing county |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 18 | 102 | −0.8% | Kendall County (+10.3%) |
| Indiana | 72 | 92 | +2.8% | Boone County (+14.0%) |
| Iowa | 33 | 99 | +1.5% | Dallas County (+18.8%) |
| Kansas | 21 | 105 | +1.3% | Pottawatomie County (+7.2%) |
| Michigan | 56 | 83 | +0.5% | Lake County (+9.0%) |
| Minnesota | 52 | 87 | +2.2% | Wright County (+11.5%) |
| Missouri | 77 | 115 | +1.9% | Lincoln County (+11.9%) |
| Nebraska | 43 | 93 | +2.9% | Sarpy County (+9.3%) |
| North Dakota | 17 | 53 | +2.6% | Billings County (+13.6%) |
| Ohio | 39 | 88 | +0.9% | Union County (+17.0%) |
| South Dakota | 40 | 66 | +5.5% | Lincoln County (+18.4%) |
| Wisconsin | 54 | 72 | +1.3% | Adams County (+5.3%) |
What growth looks like on a parcel map
- New lots show up as plats first. When land is subdivided, the plat is recorded with the county and the parcel layer catches up on its own schedule, so a brand-new lot may not appear on the map for a while. Check the recorder's recent plats if a parcel looks missing.
- Parcel numbers change after splits. A tract that was one parcel last year can be several today. Search by owner name or address as well as by an old parcel number.
- City limits move. Growing cities annex land, which changes who handles zoning and permits even though the county still keeps the deed and the tax map.
- Percent is not the same as people. A small county can post a big percentage on a modest number of new residents, so read the people-added column too.
Related guides
- Fastest growing counties in Illinois
- Fastest growing counties in Indiana
- Fastest growing counties in Iowa
- Fastest growing counties in Kansas
- Fastest growing counties in Michigan
- Fastest growing counties in Minnesota
- Fastest growing counties in Missouri
- Fastest growing counties in Nebraska
- Fastest growing counties in Ohio
- Fastest growing counties in South Dakota
- Fastest growing counties in Wisconsin
- Fastest growing counties in the US
- US counties losing population
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county totals, Vintage 2025 (April 1, 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2020–2025 estimates, with components of change).
- U.S. Census Bureau, Census Regions and Divisions of the United States (map): the Midwest region is the 12 states listed above.
- Platbookmapper county GIS directory (live data file behind our county pages, pulled October 24, 2026) for each official parcel viewer.