Fastest Growing Metro Areas

According to recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, Dallas-Fort Worth had the largest numeric gain of any metro area between 2006 and 2007, gaining 162,250 residents. Atlanta, Phoenix and Houston rounded out the metro areas with a gain of at least 100,000.

Chicago had the greatest numeric change in the Midwest metro area, while New York had the highest numeric change in the Northeast metro area.

In addition to New Orleans, other Gulf Coast metro areas where population increased between 2006 and 2007, after having experienced 2005-2006 population declines, included Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss.; Pascagoula, Miss.; Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas; and Lake Charles, La.

The 50 fastest growing metro areas were concentrated in two regions – 27 in the South and 20 in the West.

10 U.S. Metro Areas with the Highest Numerical Growth: July 1, 2006 – July 1, 2007

Dallas-Fort Worth – Arlington, Texas                 162,250

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga.                 151,063

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.                         132,513

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas               120,544

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.             86,660

Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C.-S.C.              66,724

Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill..-Ind.-Wis.              66,231

Austin-Round Rock, Texas                                   65,880

Las Vegas – Paradise, Nev.                                  59,165

San Antonio, Texas                                               53,925

10 Fastest-Growing U.S. Metro Areas by Rate of Growth: July 1, 2006 – July 1, 2007

Palm Coast, Fla.                                                            7.2%
St. George, Utah                                                           5.1%
Raleigh-Cary, N.C.                                                        4.7%
Gainesville, Ga.                                                              4.5%
Austin-Round Rock, Texas                                            4.3%
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, S.C.          4.2%
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C.-S.C.                        4.2%
New Orleans-Metarie-Kenner, La.                                 4.0%
Grand Junction, Colo.                                                    3.7%
Clarksville, Tenn. – Ky.                                                  3.7%

More than four-fifths of all U.S. metro areas (303 out of 363) had a larger population on Jul 1, 2007, than on July 1, 2006.

For more details about these fast-growing metro areas, visit the U.S. Census Bureau at www.census.gov.