YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
With a 2025 resident population of 169,847, the city of Springfield experienced a slight decline in population from 170,233 in 2024, and it also trailed slightly from totals recorded in 2023 and 2022. The 2025 estimated tally, released May 14, surpasses the city’s 2021 population of 169,248 by 599individuals.
The April 2020 estimate base of 169,143 – a difference of just 704 people in five years – shows the population of Springfield proper is roughly flat at just over 0.4% growth.
In March, newly released U.S. Census Bureau figures placed the population count of the Springfield metro area over the half-million mark for the first time.
As Springfield Business Journal reported at the time, the Springfield metropolitan statistical area, comprising Greene, Christian, Dallas, Polk and Webster counties, had a July 1, 2025, population of 500,694, which was a growth rate of 5.3% over the 2020 Census base of 475,425.
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce officials said in a March news release that the milestone reinforced Springfield’s standing as a regional center for health care and professional services and signaled a need to continue the momentum.
Amanda Ohlensehlen, Springfield’s director of Economic Vitality and Workforce Development, characterized the region’s growth as being desirable for the Queen City.
“We want to see continued growth across the region because regional growth supports jobs, expands our workforce, attracts new investment and strengthens the overall economy,” she said via email. “Springfield serves as the economic center of southwest Missouri, so when the region grows, it creates opportunities for businesses, residents and surrounding communities.”
Ohlensehlen said the city’s goal is to continue creating opportunities that support growth both within the city and across the region.
“A strong regional economy ultimately benefits residents, employers and communities throughout the Ozarks,” she said.
Ohlensehlen said the city’s long-term growth will be closely tied to its ability to expand housing opportunities and to continue investing in places where people will want to live and work.
She added that housing is one of the most important factors influencing population growth, and she noted that many communities surrounding Springfield have experienced significant residential growth because they have more undeveloped land available for new single-family housing.
“Springfield faces a different challenge,” she said. “As a mature city, much of the land within our boundaries has already been developed, and much of our housing stock is older. That means future growth will depend on a combination of redevelopment, infill development, housing rehabilitation and creating a wider range of housing options.”
Ohlensehlen said that the city’s recent updates to its development code and zoning regulations are intended to help address these needs by allowing missing-middle development, including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and similar options.
“Expanding these options can help meet the needs of young professionals, first-time homebuyers, working families and seniors while supporting sustainable population growth within the city limits,” she said.
Ohlensehlen added that in the near term, Springfield may continue to experience relatively flat population growth in comparison to the broader region. The city is making strategic investments in infrastructure, neighborhood revitalization, economic development and quality of place initiatives designed to strengthen the city’s competitiveness as a place to live, work and invest, she said, noting that over time, the investments can help to attract new residents while retaining existing households and employers.
"Many surrounding communities have more available land for new residential development,” she said. “However, we are optimistic about Springfield’s long-term growth prospects.”
National trend
A mid-May news release from the Census Bureau pointed to a widespread national slowdown in population growth, with midsized cities staying close to the previous year’s numbers in the period between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025.
Even in the large cities where strong metro growth was reported in the period, that growth was often overshadowed by the population boost in smaller cities in their metro area. The news release offered the example of Charlotte, North Carolina, the nation’s 14th-largest city, which experienced a gain of 20,731 residents in the year, though it was eclipsed by the 6.8% growth of Fort Mill, South Carolina, located 20 miles away.
“Big-city growth slowed significantly between 2024 and 2025, with some major hubs even seeing small declines,” said Matt Erickson, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Population Division, in the release. “In contrast, midsized cities found a ‘Goldilocks zone’ where domestic and international migration, paired with new housing, helped prevent the sluggish growth seen in small towns and larger metropolitan centers.”
The Census Bureau ranks Springfield as the nation’s 160th-largest city, with data estimates showing a 0.2% year-over-year population decline in 2025.
The city of Republic has experienced a major population upswing over the last five years, adding new residents to the tune of20.3%.
Colten Harris, Republic city administrator, said one reason Republic has been able to manage its growth is the quality of its staff and of the long-term planning that has been in place for many years.
“The Builds Department has developed a reputation for being responsive, professional and providing service at the speed of business ensuring compliance with all applicable codes and regulations,” he said.
He added that through the leadership of Republic Community Development Director Karen Haynes, projects are shepherded through processes efficiently and thoughtfully.
“That approach has facilitated major investments in Republic,” he said, citing Amazon, Convoy of Hope, Walmart and residential housing, retail and service businesses.
Harris called housing an important component of growth, but said it was only one piece of a larger picture.
“Republic’s growth has been driven by a combination of economic development, job creation, quality of life, excellent schools and a community that continues to attract both residents and employers,” he said.
Harris said a challenge that comes with rapid growth is that it brings increased attention to infrastructure needs and long-term capital projects.
“Sometimes there is a misconception that growth itself is the cause of utility rate increases or treatment plant expansions,” he said. “In reality, those types of infrastructure investments are the result of needs that have accumulated over decades, without continued investment, and require long-range planning regardless of growth rates.”
Growth is just one factor among many, Harris said.
“In many cases, growth provides additional resources and opportunities to make critical investments and improvements,” he said.
Area growth
Population trends since 2020 in a sampling of nearby cities include the following:
Employers, educators discuss shared goals for preparing entry-level employees.