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Inland Empire population shows gains since 2010 census
Cities in Riverside County had some of the largest population growth in the state from 2010 through last year, according to new estimates released Wednesday.
Beaumont, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Temecula are among the 20 cities in California that showed the greatest population increases between April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
The populations of Beaumont, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Temecula, Coachella and Perris all increased by at least 5 percent in that same time frame, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Other findings of note from the data:
- Locally, county-level population increased between 1 and 4 percent in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and Imperial counties between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2013. The largest county-level increase came in Riverside County.
| County | Pop. Estimate | Pct. Change |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside | 2,292,507 | 4.1% |
| San Diego | 3,211,252 | 3.4% |
| Orange | 3,114,363 | 3.2% |
| Santa Barbara | 435,697 | 2.7% |
| San Bernardino | 2,088,371 | 2.3% |
| Los Angeles | 10,017,068 | 1.9% |
| Ventura | 839,620 | 1.7% |
| Imperial | 176,584 | 1.% |
- Among all cities in Los Angeles County, Santa Fe Springs (4.8 percent) and Azusa (3.2 percent) had the largest population increases according to estimates. Among cities within Los Angeles County with an estimated population of more than 50,000, Santa Monica had the largest increase.
- Only five Southern California cities lost population between April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013 according to the estimates.
- Irvine's population grew 10.9 percent between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2013, the highest among cities in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Imperial counties.
| City | County | Pop. Estimate | Pct. Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine | Orange | 236,716 | 10.9% |
| Imperial | Imperial | 16,184 | 8.9% |
| Beaumont | Riverside | 40,481 | 8.6% |
| Lake Elsinore | Riverside | 57,525 | 8.1% |
| Menifee | Riverside | 83,447 | 6.8% |
| San Marcos | San Diego | 89,387 | 6.4% |
| Temecula | Riverside | 106,780 | 5.8% |
| Coachella | Riverside | 43,092 | 5.1% |
| Perris | Riverside | 72,326 | 5.0% |
| Chula Vista | San Diego | 256,780 | 4.9% |
- Among all California counties, the largest population increases came in Placer, Alameda and Santa Clara counties. Three Southern California counties made the top 10.
| County | Pop. Estimate | Pct. Change |
|---|---|---|
| Placer | 367,309 | 4.9% |
| Alameda | 1,578,891 | 4.3% |
| Santa Clara | 1,862,041 | 4.2% |
| Riverside | 2,292,507 | 4.1% |
| San Francisco | 837,442 | 3.9% |
| Contra Costa | 1,094,205 | 3.9% |
| San Mateo | 747,373 | 3.8% |
| San Benito | 57,600 | 3.7% |
| San Diego | 3,211,252 | 3.4% |
| Orange | 3,114,363 | 3.2% |
Wednesday's release by the U.S. Census Bureau is a more detailed look at population estimates released in March, which focused on metropolitan areas and county level population estimates. Those figures show California is home to three of the six most populous counties in the U.S: Los Angeles (first), San Diego (fifth) and Orange (sixth).