Greater Des Moines is once again the fastest-growing major Midwest metro area. The area grew 1.6% in 2018, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Greater Des Moines Partnership announced. The Des Moines metropolitan statistical area grew by 10,309 residents to a total of 655,409 residents as of July 1, 2018. By percentage, Greater Des Moines is growing faster than several large Midwest cities, including Chicago, Omaha, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and St. Louis. Since 2010, the MSA’s population has grown by 15.1%. “Our region’s robust population growth is further evidence that DSM is a vibrant and welcoming place,” said Jay Byers, the Partnership’s CEO. “We will continue to focus on attracting and retaining talent by collectively sharing our region’s success story with national and international audiences.”