Republic named one of the fastest growing cities in Missouri

Republic has recently been named one of the fastest-growing cities in Missouri over the past five years by WorldAtlas.com.
 
The city, according to the website, has experienced a surge of growth of late, growing by 20 percent in just five years.
 
City Administrator Colten Harris said in an interview with the Commonwealth that Republic has many appealing properties that contribute to this growth. He cites the school system, city government and the amenities as a few.
 
“I just think there are a lot of good reasons to come to Republic,” he said.
 
Harris said that one of the greatest contributing factors to this growth is the wide range of development opportunities in the area, specifically transportation development. Harris notes that, when in Republic, a citizen has access to major roadways and a nearby airport.
 
“I think that development has driven a lot of growth,’ said Harris. “I think the makeup of our transportation network, having [U.S. Highway] 60 and I-44 and we have access to the railroad and we’re pretty close to the regional airport. … I think those things are advantageous.”
 
Rapid growth in such a short period can cause some concerns among citizens, according to Harris, but many of them are unwarranted. One of the big ones, he mentioned, is increasing utility rates, but that isn’t something that is directly tied with growth, he said, even as the city has to beef up its systems to provide for current infrastructure.
 
“In many ways, the growth deals with that issue because you have many users that can help fund that,” he said.
 
That doesn’t mean the rates won’t increase, said Harris, but the developments they support can actually help the community in the long run.
 
“It’s not necessarily a burden of growth, and in many ways, that actually is a benefit to the community because, depending on the developments, it can cause increased sales revenue and those types of things,” said Harris.
 
The city is working on maintaining its growth and, by extension, the benefits it brings by working with the organizations like the Ozarks Transportation Organization, MODoT and the BUILDS Department.
 
“They work really hard to operate at the speed of business and to make sure that, when developments come towards the community of Republic, that we’re ready and able to respond," said Harris.
 
Republic’s population reached 22,404 in 2025, up from 18,620 in 2020, which marks a jump of more than 20 percent in just five years.
 
“It’s really exciting,” said Harris. “If given the choice to grow or decline in population, it’s definitely better to grow,” said Harris. “I do think it’s important that we do it with an understanding that the infrastructure needs to continue to support that growth… but I think Republic has been and will continue to manage that growth in a responsible way.”