Arizona among top 10 states for growth

PHOENIX — Newly released Census data reveals that Arizona is one of the nation’s fastest growing states.

Data released on Tuesday shows that Arizona’s population grew by 1.6 percent from 2015 to 2016.

That ranks the state eighth in the top 10 list of fastest growing states by percentage. About 6.9 million people live here.

In sheer numbers, Arizona ranked fifth among the top growing states, ranking behind Washington and ahead of North Carolina.

The Grand Canyon State added 113,506 new residents from 2015 to 2016.

Utah’s population grew by the largest percentage margin at 2 percent. Despite gains, Arizona doesn’t rank among the 10 most populated states. That honor goes to California, followed by Texas, Florida and New York.