Washington's population gain accelerates

In the 15 months after the US Census of April 2010, the population of Washington, DC, shot up by more than 16,000, or 2.7 percent. In that short period, the city gained more than half as many residents as it gained in the entire decade from 2000 to 2010, The Washington Post reports. The census estimate identifies DC as one of the nation's fastest-growing cities. Demographer William H. Frey says cities such as Washington, Denver, Seattle, and Austin, Texas, are "all magnets for young people," offering attractive urban environments and amenities as well as jobs.  "Young people can have a life there; they're not just daytime cities."

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