Fastest Growing Large Cities

The city that took it on the chin from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 is making a big comeback in population, but put that into some perspective before you start celebrating.

CNNMoney.com reports that New Orleans is the fastest growing city in the country in the past year, with a population increase of nearly 14 percent, according to a just-released census bureau report. The bigger picture, however, is the fact that The Big Easy lost more residents than any other city in America from 2000 to 2007. Notwithstanding those glum facts, the city’s population is up to 239,124 now.

More interesting, perhaps, are the remaining 9 cities in the top 10 list. California and Texas dominated the list. Here are the top 10, with their population and percentage increase over the last year.

1) New Orleans, 239,124 residents, up 13.8 percent (pictured).

2) Victorville, Calif., 107,221 residents, up 9.5 percent

3) McKinney, Texas, 115,620, up 8 percent (McKinney, a suburb of Dallas, has grown the fastest of any large city every year since 2000.)

4) N. Las Vegas, Nev., 212,114 residents, up 7.4 percent

5) Cary, N.C., 121,796 residents, up 7.3 percent

6) Killeen, Texas, 112,434 residents, up 6.5 percent

7) Port St. Lucie, Fla., 151,391 residents, up 6.3 percent

8) Gilbert, Ariz., 207,550 residents, up 5.8 percent

9) Clarksville, Tenn., 119,284 residents, up 4.8 percent

10) Denton, Texas, 115,506 residents, up 4.7 percent.

The Money.CNN.com report also offers up interesting information about population increases in the nation’s largest cities for the year, as well as for the past 7 years. In case you’re wondering, New York is still America’s most populated city.

(At the bottom of the Money.CNN.com page, find links to Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” list.)