Sun-belt fastest growing
When Americans relocate, their favored destinations are in the South and West.

PLUS:
•  Fastest growing U.S. counties
•  Hottest zip codes
•  What makes a zip code hot?
The states of Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Virginia dominate the list of the nation's 100 fastest growing counties; each has at least 10 of the fastest growing counties contained within their border.

Florida, with 14, leads the list, and it also has the number one fastest growing county, Flagler, near Daytona Beach in northern Florida.

Many of the nation's fastest growing counties are former agricultural lands that are being engulfed by sprawling cities that have run low on space. Riverside County in California, for instance, is 60 miles from Los Angeles, but Riverside's lower housing prices have attracted many Angelinos.

Rank Geographic Area Population estimates Change, 2003 to 2004
July 1, 2004 July 1, 2003 Number Percent
1 Flagler County FL 69,005 62,696 6,309 10.1
2 Kendall County IL 72,548 67,018 5,530 8.3
3 Loudoun County VA 239,156 221,150 18,006 8.1
4 Hanson County SD 3,786 3,508 278 7.9
5 Lincoln County SD 31,437 29,247 2,190 7.5
6 Lampasas County TX 20,718 19,306 1,412 7.3
7 Lyon County NV 43,230 40,309 2,921 7.2
8 Camden County NC 8,437 7,867 570 7.2
9 St. Johns County FL 152,473 142,949 9,524 6.7
10 Dallas County IA 49,591 46,519 3,072 6.6
11 Osceola County FL 219,544 205,993 13,551 6.6
12 Newton County GA 81,524 76,534 4,990 6.5
13 Rockwall County TX 58,260 54,724 3,536 6.5
14 Henry County GA 159,506 150,165 9,341 6.2
15 Forsyth County GA 131,865 124,213 7,652 6.2
16 Douglas County CO 237,963 224,419 13,544 6.0
17 Currituck County NC 22,067 20,813 1,254 6.0
18 St. Lucie County FL 226,816 214,031 12,785 6.0
19 Paulding County GA 105,936 100,037 5,899 5.9
20 Storey County NV 3,737 3,532 205 5.8
21 Golden Valley County MT 1,117 1,057 60 5.7
22 Lake County FL 260,788 246,844 13,944 5.6
23 Matanuska-Susitna Borough AK 72,278 68,414 3,864 5.6
24 Barrow County GA 56,418 53,420 2,998 5.6
25 Franklin County WA 59,472 56,339 3,133 5.6
26 Saguache County CO 7,029 6,668 361 5.4
27 Scott County MN 114,794 108,910 5,884 5.4
28 Fort Bend County TX 442,620 419,995 22,625 5.4
29 Union County NC 153,652 145,980 7,672 5.3
30 Nye County NV 37,714 35,832 1,882 5.3
31 Bryan County GA 27,535 26,165 1,370 5.2
32 Union County FL 14,673 13,943 730 5.2
33 Douglas County GA 107,217 101,905 5,312 5.2
34 Washington County UT 109,924 104,498 5,426 5.2
35 Delaware County OH 142,503 135,474 7,029 5.2
36 Montgomery County TX 362,382 344,651 17,731 5.1
37 Collin County TX 627,938 597,307 30,631 5.1
38 Pasco County FL 407,799 388,224 19,575 5.0
39 Riverside County CA 1,871,950 1,782,822 89,128 5.0
40 Mineral County CO 932 888 44 5.0
41 Hamilton County IN 231,760 220,864 10,896 4.9
42 DeSoto County MS 130,587 124,483 6,104 4.9
43 Roberts County TX 863 823 40 4.9
44 Will County IL 613,849 585,482 28,367 4.8
45 Hoke County NC 39,262 37,452 1,810 4.8
46 Pinal County AZ 214,359 204,529 9,830 4.8
47 Clark County NV 1,650,671 1,575,386 75,285 4.8
48 Hernando County FL 150,370 143,514 6,856 4.8
49 Clay County FL 164,394 156,995 7,399 4.7
50 St. Francois County MO 60,724 58,003 2,721 4.7
51 Manassas Park city VA 11,519 11,005 514 4.7
52 Sublette County WY 6,654 6,358 296 4.7
53 Jackson County GA 49,540 47,337 2,203 4.7
54 Cherokee County GA 174,680 166,947 7,733 4.6
55 SE Fairbanks Census Area AK 5,997 5,733 264 4.6
56 Berkeley County WV 89,362 85,439 3,923 4.6
57 Comal County TX 91,806 87,777 4,029 4.6
58 Williamson County TX 317,938 304,024 13,914 4.6
59 Placer County CA 307,004 293,630 13,374 4.6
60 Santa Rosa County FL 138,276 132,266 6,010 4.5
61 Walton County FL 48,477 46,388 2,089 4.5
62 Mohave County AZ 179,981 172,248 7,733 4.5
63 King George County VA 19,355 18,526 829 4.5
64 Sherburne County MN 78,762 75,399 3,363 4.5
65 Lee County FL 514,295 492,489 21,806 4.4
66 Christian County MO 64,273 61,564 2,709 4.4
67 Pike County GA 15,750 15,088 662 4.4
68 Effingham County GA 44,661 42,786 1,875 4.4
69 Benton County AR 179,756 172,263 7,493 4.3
70 Boone County KY 101,354 97,161 4,193 4.3
71 Suffolk city VA 76,586 73,423 3,163 4.3
72 New Kent County VA 15,552 14,917 635 4.3
73 Hinsdale County CO 810 777 33 4.2
74 Wakulla County FL 27,179 26,072 1,107 4.2
75 James City County VA 55,502 53,244 2,258 4.2
76 St. Croix County WI 74,339 71,330 3,009 4.2
77 Stafford County VA 114,781 110,236 4,545 4.1
78 Boone County IL 48,490 46,590 1,900 4.1
79 Sanders County MT 10,945 10,520 425 4.0
80 Kootenai County ID 122,350 117,614 4,736 4.0
81 Culpeper County VA 40,192 38,640 1,552 4.0
82 Gwinnett County GA 700,794 673,774 27,020 4.0
83 Fayette County TN 33,624 32,330 1,294 4.0
84 Canyon County ID 158,038 151,998 6,040 4.0
85 Wright County MN 106,889 102,820 4,069 4.0
86 Madera County CA 138,951 133,696 5,255 3.9
87 Prince William County VA 336,586 323,867 12,719 3.9
88 Denton County TX 530,597 510,616 19,981 3.9
89 Wilson County TX 36,726 35,343 1,383 3.9
90 Kaufman County TX 85,377 82,175 3,202 3.9
91 Spotsylvania County VA 111,850 107,682 4,168 3.9
92 Hendricks County IN 123,476 118,880 4,596 3.9
93 Okeechobee County FL 38,988 37,537 1,451 3.9
94 Rutherford County TN 210,025 202,225 7,800 3.9
95 Carver County MN 82,122 79,106 3,016 3.8
96 Deschutes County OR 134,479 129,542 4,937 3.8
97 Warren County OH 189,276 182,330 6,946 3.8
98 Williamson County TN 146,935 141,551 5,384 3.8
99 Burnet County TX 40,286 38,818 1,468 3.8
100 Shelby County AL 165,677 159,641 6,036 3.8

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