Sioux Falls experienced another strong year of population growth in 2020, even in the face of a pandemic and a global economic slowdown.

According to a press release from the City, the estimated population of Sioux Falls was 195,850 in 2020. That's up 5,100 from 2019 or a 2.7 percent growth rate. That beat the 1.9 percent growth rate in 2019 when the city added 3,550 people.

Sioux Falls' growth is outpacing a lot of similar sized Midwest cities and word is getting out about what the city has to offer. In my neighborhood, there are people who have moved here from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, California, Texas, and even North Dakota.

A quick drive around Sioux Falls will show all the new construction and it seems builders have a hard time keeping up with the demand. And while our job market took a brief hit in March and April of 2020, it bounced back and is stronger than ever.

The growth has been steady over the last ten years as Sioux Falls has averaged a 4,100 person annual increase over that span. Since 2000, Sioux Falls has added 71,000 people. Projections for the year 2040 show Sioux Falls with a population of 251,000.

When I moved to Sioux Falls in 1996 the city's population was around 115,000 or so. Back then Louise Avenue was a dead end near Walmart and the city limits were 57th Street to the South and at Sertoma Avenue to the West.

We didn't really have a 'rush hour' and people seemed to be a little friendlier, but maybe that is what I would like to believe. There have been some growing pains for Sioux Falls, but that is to be expected with such a rapid increase in population.

Given how so much has changed since the introduction of COVID, I wouldn't be surprised if Sioux Falls beats those 2040 population estimates as word gets out about this hidden little gem of a city in the middle of nowhere.

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