Census Figures Show Riverside County's Population Has Skyrocketed

The U.S. Census report released today shows that Riverside County was the fastest-growing county in the state over the past decade.

Census data from 2010 showed that Riverside County's population recorded the highest percentage increase and easily the largest numerical growth in California.

The county's population grew by 41.7 percent between 2000 and 2010, an increase in 644,254 people.

San Bernardino County was the closest to Riverside in population growth -- and it wasn't even that close. The county increased by 325,776 people, more than 300,000 behind its neighbor.

The next-closest county in percentage growth was the much smaller Placer County in Northern California at 40.3 percent.

At 2.19 million residents, Riverside is the fourth-largest county in the state in terms of population, just ahead of San Bernardino County, with 2.04 million. --City News Service