Earlier this month, the Census Bureau released estimates for city and town populations as of July 2008, and there are some clear regional patterns in the Bay State, as the maps below show (click each to make bigger). Overall, Massachusetts is rebounding from population losses earlier in the decade, but the Berkshires, Cape Cod, and South Coast cities are still losing residents.

The top and bottom 10 in terms of growth, both by percentages and by actual numbers of residents, are listed below. You can get an Excel spreadsheet for all 351 communities here, and the Boston Globe has a list of all communities ranked by size here. North Reading’s big jump in population last year followed the construction of 1,249 new housing units in 2007, partly due to its adoption of a Chapter 40R “smart growth” district. 

Fastest-growing communities, 2007-08, by %
NORTH READING: 24.19%
BERLIN: 6.02%
BEDFORD: 4.32%
REVERE: 3.83%
CHELSEA: 3.70%
WINTHROP: 3.62%
GROVELAND: 3.37%
HANCOCK: 3.25%
BRAINTREE: 2.87%
STOW: 2.64%

Fastest-declining communities, 2007-08, by % (reverse order)
BARNSTABLE: -0.71%
MOUNT WASHINGTON: -0.73%
WASHINGTON: -0.73%
YARMOUTH: -0.75%
RICHMOND: -0.82%
WINDSOR: -0.82%
LANESBOROUGH: -0.83%
NORTH ADAMS: -0.85%
HINSDALE: -0.88%
GOSNOLD: -1.19%

Fastest-growing communities, 2007-08, by raw numbers
NORTH READING: 3,364
REVERE: 2,219
CAMBRIDGE: 1,570
CHELSEA: 1,483
BRAINTREE: 986
QUINCY: 828
WINTHROP: 765
BOSTON: 671
BEDFORD: 561
HAVERHILL: 484

Fastest-declining communities, 2007-08, by raw numbers (reverse order)
BROCKTON: -73
SANDWICH: -75
WORCESTER: -77
DENNIS: -86
NORTH ADAMS: -118
NEW BEDFORD: -177
YARMOUTH: -180
PITTSFIELD: -258
SPRINGFIELD: -287
BARNSTABLE: -332

Below are the maps summarizing population changes since 2000. Note the difference with the maps showing the most previous year’s changes. Many Boston suburbs within Route 128 have had net losses so far this decade but slight gains in 2007-08, indicating a slowing-down or reversal of the longtime trend toward moving farther and farther from the central city.

Fastest-growing communities, 2000-08, by %
HANCOCK: 54.66%
REVERE: 26.42%
NORTH READING: 24.54%
RUTLAND: 23.44%
MIDDLETON: 21.58%
NEW BRAINTREE: 19.23%
BERLIN: 19.12%
GROVELAND: 19.01%
WINTHROP: 18.82%
CHELSEA: 17.80%

Fastest-declining communities, 2000-08, by % (reverse order)
BROOKLINE: -3.89%
CLARKSBURG: -3.92%
DALTON: -4.17%
DENNIS: -4.18%
LANESBOROUGH: -4.21%
YARMOUTH: -4.44%
WILLIAMSTOWN: -5.28%
ADAMS: -5.70%
NORTH ADAMS: -6.38%
PITTSFIELD: -6.66%

Fastest-growing communities, 2000-08, by raw numbers
BOSTON: 19,636
REVERE: 12,580
CHELSEA: 6,282
QUINCY: 4,114
CAMBRIDGE: 3,953
PLYMOUTH: 3,760
WINTHROP: 3,465
NORTH READING: 3,403
DARTMOUTH: 3,114
PEABODY: 3,010

Fastest-declining communities, 2000-08, by raw numbers (reverse order)
LOWELL: -1,649
NEWTON: -1,774
BARNSTABLE: -1,803
SOMERVILLE: -1,951
FRAMINGHAM: -2,072
LAWRENCE: -2,112
BROOKLINE: -2,219
LYNN: -2,227
NEW BEDFORD: -2,495
PITTSFIELD: -3,044