Where Central Ohio is growing the fastest may surprise you
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Central Ohio's explosive growth is no secret. What's less obvious is where it's mainly happening: smaller cities and villages on the fringes.
Why it matters: The demographic landscape of the U.S. is undergoing a dramatic outward shift to more affordable exurban communities — our region perfectly mirrors that trend.
- Once-overlooked places will need to adapt to their larger populations, including adding infrastructure, housing, schools and other public services.
Case in point: South Bloomfield, Ohio's fastest-growing community, recently unveiled major plans for housing and commercial development, the Scioto Post reported.
- Residents of the Pickaway County village of about 4,200 people are concerned it can't handle "such a massive influx."
- "Growth can't be stopped, only steered," Mayor Aaron Thomas said.
Zoom in: All of Ohio's fastest-growing communities by percentage from 2020 to 2025 are in Central Ohio, new census data shows. But just one, Obetz, is in Franklin County.
- Just two have cracked 10,000 people — Powell (about 18,000) and Marysville (just over 30,000).
- West Jefferson in Madison County surpassed 5,000 in 2025, meaning it'll graduate from village to city status.
The intrigue: Union County is most represented, with four rapidly growing places, including the tiny villages of Magnetic Springs (pop. 316, as of last year) and Milford Center (pop. 935).
The other side: Columbus proper isn't doing too shabby, with 3.5% growth from 2020-25.
- That outpaces all other major Ohio cities.
- Cleveland shrank by 2.2%, and Cincinnati grew by 1.5% during that time frame.
Between the lines: The housing market is largely driving the trend.
- The nation's housing stock expanded by a modest 1% from 2024 to 2025, but the fastest-growing counties significantly outpaced that national average, per the census.
- Developers are following the population out to cheaper land, turning what looked like a temporary pandemic-era shift into a lasting one.
The bottom line: Expect growth to keep favoring space, affordability and flexibility over proximity.