Of the 20 fastest-growing counties between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005, 13 were located in the South, four in the West and three in the Midwest, according to a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau. Flagler County, located along the Atlantic coast in Florida, was the nation’s fastest-growing county with a 10.7% population increase between 2004 and 2005. In California, Tuolumne (4.5%), Yuba (4.2%) and Riverside/San Bernardino (4.1%) counties also were among the top 100 fastest-growing counties in the country.

With 9.94 million residents, Los Angeles County continues to be the most populous county in the nation, according to the report. Orange and San Diego counties are also among the country’s top 10 largest counties, with 2.99 million residents and 2.93 million residents.