The growth of Coweta County shows no clear sign of stopping.

Coweta County was the 16th fastest growing county in the state and saw its population grow from 114,178 in 2006 to 118,936 for a 4.2 percent year-to-year growth rate. Coweta was also the 67th fastest growing county in the U.S. for the past year.

According to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau released last week, neighboring Fayette’s population grew by just 1.2 percent, from 104,850 in July 2006 to 106,144 by July 2007.

Since the last official Census in 2000, Coweta has added nearly 30,000 residents, while Fayette has added 15,000 from its 2000 count of just over 91,000.

According to the Census Bureau, St. Bernard and Orleans, two Louisiana parishes hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, were the nation’s fastest-growing counties in 2007.

St. Bernard — the nation’s fastest-losing county from 2005 to 2006 — experienced a 42.9 percent population increase between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, upping its population by almost 6,000. Orleans’ population rose by 13.8 percent, or nearly 29,000.

According to the estimates, all but one of the nation’s 10 fastest-growing counties were located in the South or West, with Pinal, Ariz. (near Phoenix) ranking third at 11.5 percent; Kendall, Ill. (in the Chicago area) fourth at 10.6 percent; Rockwall, Texas (in the Dallas area) fifth at 8.2 percent; Flagler, Fla. (between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville) sixth at 7.2 percent; and Union, N.C. (near Charlotte) seventh at 7.2 percent.

Rounding out the list were three Georgia counties: Forsyth (7.2 percent), Paulding (6.7 percent) and Jackson (6.7 percent).

Maricopa County, Ariz., home of Phoenix, was the top numerical gainer, increasing by 102,000 people between 2006 and 2007. Among the 10 counties that added the largest number of residents between 2006 and 2007, half were in Texas (Harris, Tarrant, Bexar, Collin and Travis), two in North Carolina (Wake and Mecklenburg), and one each in California (Riverside) and Nevada (Clark).

Los Angeles, Calif., remained the most populous county, with a July 1, 2007, population of 9.9 million, a decline of 2,000 residents from 2006.

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