New Orleans is the fastest-growing big city; population increases 8.2 percent in year

Nearly four years after Hurricane Katrina emptied it of residents, New Orleans is atop the list of fastest-growing large American cities, posting an 8.2 percent jump in population in the year ending July 1, 2008, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released today.

New Orleans added nearly 24,000 residents over that stretch, the seventh-largest gain among America's large cities during that period, the data show. New York City topped the roster, followed by Phoenix, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Antonio and Fort Worth, Texas.
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