Fastest Growing U.S. Counties

The top 10 by percentage growth, from July 2003 to July 2004.

County, State Population Growth
Flagler County, FL 69,005 10.1%
Kendall County, IL 72,548 8.3%
Loudoun County, VA 239,156 8.1%
Hanson County, SD 3,786 7.9%
Lincoln County, SD 31,437 7.5%
Lampasas County, TX 20,718 7.3%
Lyon County, NV 43,230 7.2%
Camden County, NC 8,437 7.2%
St. Johns County, FL 152,473 6.7%
Dallas County, IA 49,591 6.6%

Florida has 14 of the 100 fastest-growing counties in the United States, more than any other state, according to a study released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Flagler County, in Northeast Florida between Daytona and Jacksonville, is No. 1, with population growth of more than 10 percent in the year ending June 30, 2004. Neighboring county to the north, St John's, was No. 9, with 6.7 percent growth. The oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, is in St John's County.

Four midwestern counties made the list: Kendall in Illinois, Hanson and Lincoln in South Dakota, and Dallas in Iowa.

Los Angeles continues to be the nation's most populous county with nearly 10 million residents, but Maricopa County in Arizona had the largest gain, with an increase of 112,233, or 3.3 percent.

No. 2 in total population was Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, which is attracting Angelinos fleeing high real estate prices there. Riverside gained 5 percent, a total of 89,128 people.

Sixty of the fastest-growing counties were in the South, 23 in the West, and 17 in the Midwest. Georgia and Texas had 12 each and Virginia had 10. Twenty one states did not have any counties among the 100 fastest growing.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau