Wilmington 20th fastest growing US city

RALEIGH (AP) -- The Raleigh and Charlotte regions are among the Top 10 fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. U.S. Census Bureau data shows the Raleigh area ranking third with a 4.7 percent growth rate between 2006 and 2007. The region includes Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties, and it grew by more than 47,000 people. Charlotte ranks ninth with a growth rate of 4.2 percent. The six-county region includes parts of South Carolina and gained more than 66,700 people during the year. State demographer Bill Tillman told the News & Observer of Raleigh the data isn't surprising. He said both areas have been growing rapidly for years but cautioned that the numbers are a year old and the growth rates are based on a short time period. The next fastest-growing region in North Carolina was Wilmington, ranked 20th nationally. Asheville ranked 100th. --- Information from: The News & Observer, http://www.newsobserver.com (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)