ST. PAUL - The population of the seven-county metro area grew 4.5 percent to 2,977,455 people between 2010 and 2014, according to preliminary estimates by the Metropolitan Council.
New multifamily developments drove growth in urban communities, while suburban areas experienced growth from single-family homes and townhouses, according to the estimates.
In some communities, numbers rose because of new senior living communities, the Met Council said. That was true in Wayzata and Lilydale, which both experienced the highest rates of growth. Lilydale, in Dakota County, went from 623 residents in 2010 to an estimated 948 in 2014, a 52 percent increase. St. Paul’s population grew by 5.1 percent to 299,641, and Minneapolis grew by 7.5 percent to 411,286.
The number of households grew by 47,282 over the four years ending April 1, 2014, but the number of housing units grew only by 34,982, resulting in higher occupancy rates and lower vacancy rates.
