Springfield metro area tops population growth in Missouri

Inching closer to 500,000 residents, the Springfield metro area is experiencing the largest population growth statewide, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The data released May 16 comprises population estimates for metro areas of all sizes around Missouri. The Springfield metropolitan statistical area, encompassing Greene, Christian, Dallas, Polk and Webster counties, increased nearly 14,700 residents – roughly 3.1% – between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2023.

The population data for metro areas of each city also includes the surrounding suburbs. Springfield MSA’s resident count of 491,053 as of 2023 keeps it the third-largest metro area in the state behind Kansas City and St. Louis. Of the Springfield MSA total, the Queen City’s population reached 170,188 last year. Over the three-year span, 1,018 people were added to the population, a 0.6% increase. That put Springfield’s residential growth fifth among cities in the five-county MSA. Nixa led the population growth with a growth of 2,143 residents, followed by Ozark, Republic and Rogersville.

Springfield Department of Planning and Development Director Steve Childers said while the city’s population growth trailed several nearby communities, the increase was about average for the past couple of decades. He said Springfield’s population increased 11% between 2000 and 2020, which breaks down to about 0.5% annually.

“Plus, the new housing stock is not being built within the city limits of Springfield but more so outside of the Springfield city limits within the MSA,” he said via email.

He said the low cost of living, quality of life, proximity to outdoor recreation and ability to work remotely are all contributing factors to the area’s growth. According to 2022 Census data, the median age of the Springfield MSA population was 37.4. The national median age is 38.9.

“We do believe that is a win for the region as well as the city of Springfield,” he said of the new population data. “Springfield is our region’s center for jobs and retail shopping. In addition, the city of Springfield also is the hub for entertainment, recreation and services that may not be available in the smaller communities. This means that the region and/or MSA population travels to Springfield for their place of work, retail or other needs, and that does benefit the city of Springfield.”

The U.S. population growth rate was just over 1% over the same three-year span.

Keeping pace
South of Springfield, Nixa is the MSA’s next most-populated city with 24,405 residents. Nixa Assistant City Administrator Doug Colvin said the nearly 10% in population growth from 2020 to 2023 exceeded his expectations.

“It does surprise me a little bit,” he said. “I wouldn’t have thought that it would’ve been that much just over those three years. I would’ve probably guessed a thousand, maybe a little more than a thousand.”

Still, rapid population growth is nothing new to the Christian County town.

Nixa has grown more than 21% over the past decade, according to Census data.

One of the challenges of the city’s growth is finding enough land for construction, Colvin said.

“Nixa has grown outward enough that a lot of the good, easily buildable ground isn’t available anymore,” he said. “The ground that’s around anymore is a little tougher to build on.”

That’s not to say that homebuilders aren’t staying active in town, as Colvin said residential construction “has been constant.”

“It seems to be, as soon as they’re built, they’re inhabited. We don’t see any new stuff sitting there with ‘For sale’ signs in front of it, that’s for sure,” he said, noting Stenger Homes LLC is constructing single-family homes in the Meadowbrook subdivision, while Bussell Building Inc. is active doing the same in the Forest Heights subdivision.

Project planning
The city is investing in new infrastructure projects to keep up with growth. Colvin said one of those is a sewer lift station currently in the design phase that will be built less than two miles southwest of the high school. While the project is yet to go out for bids, he estimated it likely will cost around $3 million.

Nixa is also working with the Missouri Department of Transportation on separate but connected road projects addressing improvements for the intersection of Highway CC, North Main Street and West Cedar Street. Colvin said the city is investing about $2.5 million on road work from Tracker Road to that intersection while MoDOT is building a roundabout. Cost for the roundabout is estimated at $4.6 million and work is scheduled to start this summer, according to MoDOT’s website.

The Census population data reported Republic’s growth at nearly 1,400 residents since 2020. Over the past decade, its population has jumped over 28%, and it is coming off a record year of single-family residential permits.

The 256 permits issued last year easily surpassed the previous high of 210 issued in 2022, according to Republic officials.

“We’ve got a strong indication we will see the same, if not slightly above, the total permits for single-family residential and building permit applications in the next year,” said Karen Haynes, planning and development manager for Republic’s Builds Department, noting the city’s permit total this year was 127 as of June 3.

Several municipal projects have either crossed the finish line or are in progress this summer, officials say. The $7.4 million expansion for the newly rebranded The Rush Republic Aquatic Park was unveiled to the public last month, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The Parks and Recreation Department also is tackling Phase I of a roughly $2 million development of a farmers market and community event space at J.R. Martin Park and soon plans to solicit construction bids for a roughly $40 million outdoor athletic complex on 136 acres south of James River Freeway.

The city also is amid a multiyear expansion of its wastewater system. The $150 million project, expected to last until 2026, includes $50 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding and a $45 million bond issue, according to past reporting.

Elsewhere in town, Stone Creek Falls, a 93-acre residential and commercial development on the edge of Republic at U.S. Highway 60, is under construction. Additionally, the $65 million Iron Grain District mixed-use development at Highway MM and Sawyer Road is soon to see some of its tenants open their doors. The Roost Bar & Grill and Habaneros Mexican Cantina are both expected to open this summer, according to the development’s Facebook page.

Haynes said the primary indication the city has of continued growth among its housing, commercial and industrial sectors is the volume of interest it has from developers.

“We literally get calls from people that are interested in doing something in the city every single day,” she said. “That could range from new multifamily or single-family residential construction to new commercial pad sites or industrial or commercial subdivisions.”

Whether it’s Springfield or another of the growing cities in the MSA, Childers said there’s always a tangible cost to growth.

“The more people, the more developments with new public infrastructure that has to be maintained,” he said. “More houses mean more traffic; more houses mean larger sewer treatment facilities and more people means more water is being used. However, that also means more jobs, tax revenue and diversity, which brings with it benefits.”

Beyond the Springfield MSA, the metro area with the next-highest increase was in Columbia, where approximately 5,600 new residents resulted in a 2.68% population growth.