PHOENIX (AP) - The Census Bureau says Arizona’s Maricopa County has replaced Texas’ Harris County as the county with the nation’s highest annual population growth.
Maricopa County includes Phoenix and most of its suburbs and has an estimated population topping 4.2 million.
Maricopa County gained over 81,000 people between July 1, 2015 and July 1, 2016, a daily increase of 222.
Harris County had an increase of nearly 57,000, or about 155 per day on average.
Maricopa County gained most of its new residents from having more people relocate from elsewhere in the United States than leave for other locations.
Other contributors were natural growth by having more births than deaths and from international migration.
Maricopa County’s growth rate of nearly 2 percent is the highest rate among the nation’s 10 largest counties.
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