On August 21, 2006, the United States Census Bureau released data ranking the population growth of major metropolitan areas (population of 50,000 or more), as well as micropolitan areas (population of more than 10,000 but less than 50,000) in the nation. Two lists are provided in this article. The first list ranks the top 15 metropolitan areas, and the second list ranks the top 15 micropolitan areas.

Communities were ranked based on their percentage change in population from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005. Listed below are the top 15 metropolitan areas in the United States, followed by the number of people added from 2000 to 2005, and the percent increase in population since April 1, 2000.

1. St. George, Utah: 28,531 (31.6% increase)

2. Greeley, Colorado: 48,082 (26.6% increase)

3. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada: 334,813 (24.3% increase)

4. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida: 103,870 (23.6 increase)

5. Bend, Oregon: 26,015(22.5% increase)

6. Naples-Marco Island, Florida: 55,865 (22.2% increase)

7. Provo-Orem, Utah: 76,073 (20.2% increase)

8. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California: 655,133 (20.1% increase)

9. Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, Florida: 61,607 (19.3% increase)

10. Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina: 152,655 (19.2% increase)

11. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas: 108,812 (19.1% increase)

12. Gainesville, Georgia: 26,456 (19.0% increase)

13. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona: 613,201 (18.9% increase)

14. Prescott, Arizona: 31,1841 (18.6% increase)

15. Stockton, California: 100,518 (17.8% increase)

Of the metropolitan areas, San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos (California) region ranked #197 by adding 119,629 people over the past 5 years (4.3% increase since 2000).

Listed below are the top 15 micropolitan areas (population of more than 10,000 but less than 50,000)in the United States, followed by the number people added from 2000 to 2005, and the percent increase in population since April 1, 2000.

1. Palm Coast, Florida: 26,578 (53.3% increase)

2. Fernley, Nevada: 13,014 (37.7% increase)

3. Heber, Utah: 3,759 (24.7% increase)

4. Pahrump, Nevada:7,965 (24.5% increase)

5. Culpeper, Virginia: 8,268 (24.1% increase)

6. Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona: 32,168 (20.7% increase)

7. The Villages, Florida: 10,837 (20.3% increase)

8. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania: 24,547 (17.7% increase)

9. Granbury, Texas:7,599 (15.9% increase)

10. Daphne-Fairhope, Alabama: 22,171 (15.8% increase)

11. Bozeman, Montana: 10,379 (15.3% increase)

12. Prineville, Oregon: 2,883 (15.0% increase)

13. Statesville-Mooresville, North Carolina: 18,264 (14.9% increase)

14. Calhoun, Georgia: 6,175 (14.0% increase)

15. Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada: 5,758 (14.0% increase)

Population growth can impact the supply, demand and pricing of real estate for affected areas. Be sure to consult a knowledgeable real estate agent before buying or selling real estate. For a detailed list of community rankings, visit the Census Bureau's web site.