Fastest growing cities are suburban; big cities lose population

No surprise here. Big cities have been losing to smaller, blossoming suburbs and newer cities for years. Mostly for schools, services and organized green space. At the same time however, I thing it's fair to say that over the same last 5 years, central cities across the country have been seeing an increase in population and billions in upgrades. Here in Columbus, we are somewhat isolated from mass exodus due to the lack of blue collar jobs that could potentially be lost, the many colleges and universities, and the ease of life and cost of living here.

Some excerpts from today's AP story in the Daily Reporter . . . . .

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
Associated Press Writer
06/21/2006

WASHINGTON (AP) - Elk Grove, Calif., wasn't even incorporated six years ago, and now it's the fastest-growing city in America.Bigger, older cities are losing ground.The Sacramento suburb grew by 11.6 percent last year, to 112,000 people, typifying the nation's appetite for open spaces, affordable homes and suburban living.
Once a rural farming community, Elk Grove has given way to sprawling development, fueled by a short commute to Sacramento and local employers such as Apple Computer

Americans have been moving west and south for decades, and last year was no different. All but three of the 50 fastest-growing cities from 2004 to 2005 were in those regions of the country, with many in California and Florida, according to Census Bureau estimates Wednesday. The estimates were for cities with populations of 100,000 or more.

Elk Grove was followed in the top five by North Las Vegas, Nev.; Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Gilbert, Ariz., and Cape Coral, Fla.All five are suburban, and all have fewer than 200,000 residents."We have a pattern that is consistent across the country," said Hans Johnson, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. "Families choose to move to areas where they can buy more housing for less money and often with better schools."

Americans also are moving away from many of the nation's biggest cities, though the reasons vary with the cities.People are following jobs out of struggling Midwestern cities. Others are leaving expensive Northeastern and Western cities in search of more affordable homes. And people are fleeing big cities everywhere in search of better schools.

New York remained the nation's largest city, with 8.1 million people. The city has added 135,000 people since 2000, but it lost 21,500 from 2004 to 2005, more than any other city.Detroit, with its struggling economy, has lost 65,000 people since 2000, the most of any city. Philadelphia, which has lost about 50,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000, has lost 54,000 people during the same period.

On The Net:Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov