San Francisco Bay Area Begins To Grow Again

"The nine-county region's population grew by almost 2 percent, adding more than 136,000 residents between 2000 and 2006, according to data to be released today. That brought the Bay Area's population on July 1, 2006, to 7.2 million, with about 57 percent of the increase due to international immigration."

"'There is something of a comeback for the Bay Area,' said Brookings Institution demographer William Frey. The impact of the high-tech industry downturn 'may have receded and people may be coming to grips with the expensive housing market. It's a modest good news story for Bay Area.'"

"The growth is sluggish, however, Frey pointed out. The combined populations of San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont and their surrounding areas grew just 0.5 percent between 2005 and 2006. The area had previously lost population each year this decade, according to Census Bureau estimates. The population of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area grew 1.5 percent between 2005 and 2006."

"Compare that to growth of 3.1 percent between 2005 and 2006 in Bakersfield, the state's fastest-growing metropolitan area. The combined metropolitan area of Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario came in a close second with a 3 percent growth rate. Demographers who have been watching California's inland growth say it is driven by the high cost of housing in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego."