When it comes to growth, Utah is still whistlin' Dixie, Coal Country is still singing the blues and the state, as a whole, is still humming lullabies.
The latest census estimates are out -- the last batch for counties and metropolitan areas before 2010 Census numbers are released next year. Here are some interesting tidbits:
Did you know St. George and Provo-Orem are the nation's second and third fastest-growing metro areas?
Only a Sunshine State city outshined Utah's top gainers in population growth this decade.
Although the Florida boomtown, Palm Coast, with an 84 percent surge since 2000, wins the gold as the fastest-growing metropolitan area, St. George (52 percent) and Provo-Orem (48 percent) can brag about their silver and bronze medals.
That's faster than Raleigh, N.C. (41 percent); Greeley, Colo. (41 percent); and Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev. (38 percent), according to the latest census estimates.
Officials in St. George don't expect their upward trend to stop.
"Our long-term outlook is that we will continue to grow," Washington County Administrator Dean Cox says, "because Washington County is a desirable place to live."
Also in the top 100 growth rates among U.S. metro areas: Logan (25 percent) is 32nd, Ogden-Clearfield (22 percent) is 38th and Salt Lake City (17 percent) is 73rd.
Did you know Heber City and Cedar City are the nation's third and sixth fastest-growing "micropolitan" areas?
On a smaller scale, Heber City (42 percent) ranks third behind Fernley, Nev. (53 percent) and The Villages, Fla. (46 percent). Cedar City (34 percent) is sixth, just behind Culpeper, Va. (36 percent), and ahead of Bozeman, Mont. (33 percent).
Vernal (25 percent) is 15th and Brigham City (17 percent) is 46th.
But Price is down by more than 400 residents for a 2 percent dip.
Did you know Washington County is the nation's 27th fastest-growing county?
Maybe it's the sun or the nearby national parks or its reputation as a premier retirement haven. Whatever the reason, Washington County, with a 52 percent jump in population this decade, is Utah's fastest-growing county and ranks among the nation's leaders.
Utah County (48 percent) is 36th, Tooele County (43 percent) is 46th and Wasatch (42 percent) is 52nd.
Did you know Emery County is Utah's biggest population loser?
Emery County's population is shrinking, down more than 3 percent since 2000.
Four other Utah counties -- Garfield, Carbon, Millard and Piute -- also lost residents, according to the latest estimates.
Emery County Commissioner Jeff Horrocks links his losses to coal mining. There aren't as many jobs, he says, as there used to be.
But the commissioner hopes to bounce back with new businesses. A small-scale manufacturer in Green River already is adding jobs.
"Our economy is not bad in Emery County," Horrocks said. "It is fairly good and holding steady.
Did you know 18 of Utah's 29 counties are growing by double-digit percentages?
Pick your county -- Iron (34 percent), Duchesne (25 percent), Grand (15 percent), even Rich (10 percent) -- and you'll probably find double-digit leaps.
In fact, two-thirds of Utah's counties have seen their populations swell by at least 10 percent since 2000, and 10 are up by 25 percent or more. The state itself -- thanks to in-migration and its traditionally tops-in-the-nation birthrate -- is up nearly 25 percent, to nearly 2.8 million.
Did you know Salt Lake County has topped 1 million people?
Home to nearly 40 percent of Utah's population, Salt Lake County now boasts nearly 1,035,000 residents. That's a 15 percent spike since 2000.
Utah County has 545,000, followed by Davis (301,000), Weber (232,000) and Washington (137,000).
At the bottom: Daggett (941). Even with its 2 percent growth this decade -- it's up by 20 people -- the eastern Utah county still hasn't reached 1,000.
Tony Semerad contributed to this story.
