Raleigh among top 25 fastest growing metros in nation

Raleigh is among the fastest growing metro areas in the country, according to new data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raleigh metro area added more than 31,500 people from July 2015 to July 2016, making it the 14th fastest growing area. The new count gives the City of Oaks' metro area a population of 1.3 million, marking a 2.5 percent change from the previous year.

Raleigh's 31,500 additions also put it on the list of top 25 metros with the largest total gain. The capital city was one of four metros that was put on both top-25 lists.

Myrtle Beach, whose metro area straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina border, according to the Census, was the only other area that represented North Carolina residents. The coastal area is the second-fastest-growing area in the country behind only The Villages, a metro in central Florida.

Much of Raleigh's population increase is due to people moving to the area. The Census data showed more than 22,600 people moved in during the year, while almost 15,900 new residents were born.

Top 10 fastest-growing metro areas based on percent change:

1 The Villages, Florida (+4.3)

2 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC (+3.9)

3 Bend-Redmond, Oregon (+3.6)

4 Greeley, Colorado (+3.5)

5 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida (+3.1)

6 St. George, Utah (+3.1)

7 Provo-Orem, Utah (+3.1)

8 Punta Gorda, Florida (+3.0)

9 Austin-Round Rock, Texas (+2.9)

10 North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida (+2.7)