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Fastest Growing Counties Are Suburban, Rural
Los Angeles Remains Nation's Largest County

POSTED: 9:37 am PST March 16, 2006
UPDATED: 9:55 am PST March 16, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Census Bureau estimates show the nation's population growth continues shifting to the South and West and to distant suburbs of metro areas.

For the second straight year Flagler County, Fla., is the fastest growing county in the country. Others in the top five: Lyon County, Nev.; Kendall County, Ill.; Rockwell County, Texas, and Washington County, Utah.

Thirteen of the 20 fastest growing counties are in the South, four are in the West and three are in the Midwest. The Northeast had only one county among the 100 fastest growing: Pike County in northeastern Pennsylvania, which ranked 72nd.

The Northeast has only one county among the 100 fastest growing: Pike County in northeastern Pennsylvania at the far fringe of the New York City metro area.

Many of the counties are still relatively small, with populations under 100,000. But they are growing at rates far exceeding the national growth rate of about 1 percent a year.

Los Angeles remains the nation's largest county, with nearly 10 million people.