Raleigh, Austin are fastest-growing metros
Raleigh, N.C., and Austin, Texas, are the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in America, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released Thursday morning.
Raleigh's population increased by 4.3 percent between July 1, 2007, and the same date in 2008, reaching a total of 1.1 million. Austin's population grew by 3.8 percent during the same span, climbing to 1.7 million. No other major metro grew as rapidly.
The Census Bureau released a new set of population estimates for the nation's 363 metropolitan areas on Thursday.
A total of 313 metros gained population between 2007 and 2008, while 50 suffered declines same day payday loans. Forty-seven of the 50 fastest-growing metros were located in the South or West.
The New York City region, which sprawls over portions of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, remained the nation's largest metro as of mid-2008, with 19.0 million residents. It's followed by Los Angeles at 12.9 million and Chicago at 9.6 million. Fourteen metros have populations of 4 million or more.