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Fastest growing housing markets
Census report: Counties with the biggest increase in housing units.
July 21, 2005: 10:17 AM EDT
By Les Christie, CNN/Money staff writer
Hottest housing markets
These were the fastest growing U.S. counties for homebuilding
CountyGrowth
percentage
Flagler County, FL13.9%
Madison County, ID9.6% 
Loudoun County, VA8.2%
Henry County, GA7.6%
Newton County, GA7.4%
Pinal County, AZ7.4%
St. Lucie County, FL7.4% 
Sumter County, FL7.3% 
Paulding County, GA7.0% 
Fannin County, GA 6.9% 
 Source:  Census Bureau

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The state of Georgia is home to some of the fastest growing counties in the United States, according to a new report released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

Of the top 10 counties nationwide, measured by increase in housing units during the 12 months ending July 1, 2004, four are in the Peach State.

Outpacing all U.S. counties is Flagler in northeastern Florida, which had 13.9 percent more housing units on July 1, 2004 than it had a year earlier.

It joined two other Florida counties in the top 10: St. Lucie, No. 7 with 7.4 percent growth, and Sumter, No. 8 with 7.3 percent growth.

The top Georgia county was Henry, outside Atlanta, which grew 7.6 percent, good enough to rank No. 4.

For sheer numbers, Maricopa County, Arizona, home of Phoenix, added the most housing units, with an increase of 45,155. Harris County Texas (Houston) was second with 38,155 and Clark County Nevada (Las Vegas) added 35,351 units.

Growing in the sun

As a state, Florida added more housing units than any other: 198,430 from July 1, 2003 to July 1, 2004.

Percentage-wise, Nevada led the nation with a 4.5 percent increase.

Among regions, the Northeast experienced the slowest growth rate. In New England, only Maine, at 1 percent growth, and New Hampshire, at 1.2 percent, grew at a rate of 1 percent or greater. Connecticut (0.5 percent), Massachusetts (0.5 percent), Rhode Island (0.3 percent), and Vermont (0.8 percent) all lagged.

The mid-Atlantic region states of New York (0.4 percent), New Jersey (0.7 percent), and Pennsylvania (0.7 percent) also fared poorly, as did West Virginia (0.5 percent) and the District of Columbia (0.2 percent).

The only western states to show less than one percent growth were Montana (0.7 percent) and Oklahoma (0.9 percent). All the southern states grew faster than one percent, led by Florida and Georgia, both up 2.5 percent, and North Carolina, up 1.8 percent.

The Southwest boasted the three fastest growing states, with Nevada leading number two Arizona (3.0 percent) and number three Utah (2.6 percent).

For a look where housing prices are going up fast, click here.

In terms of population growth, Florida has many of the fastest growing counties. Click here for that story.  Top of page

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