A fast-growing Central Valley city is gaining national attention.
Lathrop was the only California city to make MoneyLion’s list of the nation’s fastest-growing suburbs, ranking No. 15, according to the mobile banking and financial technology platform.
Here’s what to know about the study and its findings for Lathrop, one of California’s fastest-growing suburbs.
MoneyLion’s methodology
In its study, MoneyLion defined suburbs as locations with “at least 5,000 total households and not being a named city in the metropolitan area.”
The company analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 and 2024 American Community Survey, including total population, household counts, and median income. Only areas that saw at least 20% population growth over that period were included.
Other data, including cost-of-living indexes, average home value, and average mortgage rates, were sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey, the Zillow Home Value Index, and Federal Reserve Economic Data, the company said.
MoneyLion ranked suburbs by five-year population growth, with the fastest-growing at the top.
Top 15 fastest-growing suburbs in the U.S., according to MoneyLion
The top five fastest-growing suburbs each saw population growth of more than 100% over five years, MoneyLion said. Texas holds the most fastest-growing suburbs of any state, claiming 15 spots on the list.
Here’s the top 15 fastest-growing suburbs in the U.S., according to MoneyLion:
California city ranks No. 15 on MoneyLion’s list
Lathrop ranked No. 15 on MoneyLion’s list. The San Joaquin County city saw a 56.9% increase in population from 2019 to 2024, growing from 22,341 residents to 35,052, the study found. In Lathrop, the median household income is $126,421, while the average home value is $646,407, according to the study. The total annual cost of living is $71,502.
Lathrop is the second fastest-growing city in the Golden State
Aside from being among the fastest-growing cities nationally, Lathrop is the second fastest-growing city in the Golden State, city officials said in May, citing data from the California Department of Finance.
“The Department’s January 1, 2026, population estimates show Lathrop grew from 38,791 residents in 2025 to 40,942 residents in 2026, an increase of 2,151 people, or 5.5%,” officials said.
With a population of just over 30,000, the Central Valley city ranked second in population growth, behind only Mountain House, officials said.
The state report also underscored Lathrop’s housing growth, officials said, adding that the city saw a 7% increase in housing units between 2025 and 2026.
“Lathrop’s growth is a reflection of the strength of our community, and the confidence families continue to place in our city,” Lathrop Mayor Paul Akinjo said in the release. “People are choosing Lathrop because they see opportunity here. As we grow, our responsibility is to keep planning thoughtfully, investing in infrastructure, and protecting the quality of life that makes Lathrop such a special place to call home.”
What to know about Lathrop
Before the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad around 1870, Lathrop began as a town with a store and schoolhouse and was known as Wilson’s Station, according to the city’s website.
“The town was founded initially by Leland Stanford, as a product of political controversy with the City of Stockton over negotiations on the Central Pacific’s alignment through Stockton,” the website says. “Subsequently, Stanford ordered construction of the railroad around Stockton.”
Wilson’s Station was eventually renamed after Stanford’s brother-in-law, Charles Lathrop, according to the city. By 1871, “it became an important division point and rail stop.”
“The Town’s growth through the 1870s was steady, reaching a population of about 600 by 1879,” the city said.
Starting in the 1880s, the Lathrop entered a period of decline that lasted nearly half a century, the website says.
“With the transfer of the railroad roundhouse and machine shop to Tracy, the transfer of rural postal customers to Manteca and a major fire in 1911, Lathrop’s population and economy dwindled until World War II,” the city says. “The war brought Permanente Metals and the Sharpe Army Depot to town. Permanente produced aircraft parts and magnesium bombs, while the Depot became one of the major army supply depots in the Western United States.”
Lathrop expanded from its original site to about 5 square miles during the 1940s, the city says.
“Housing tracts were constructed during postwar years, and Lathrop became home to large industrial employers,” the website says. “They include Best Fertilizer, now operated by Simplot for the production of pesticides and fertilizers, and Libby-Owens-Ford, which produces auto glass.”
Though residential growth was slow in the 1950s and 1960s, it accelerated in the subsequent two decades, the city says.
“Nearly all of the vacant land between the original town site and Interstate 5 has been developed,” the website says. “With about 3,700 people and 1,100 homes in 1980, Lathrop has expanded to a population of 6,841 in 1990 and about 7,000 in early 1991.”
In 1989, Lathrop was incorporated as a city, and its first General Plan was adopted two years later, according to the city’s website.
Today, Lathrop continues to expand, drawing new residents with its relatively affordable housing and proximity to the Bay Area, a trend that helped earn it a spot on MoneyLion’s list.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: This Central Valley city is among fastest-growing in US, study says
Reporting by Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
