It's official: Ann Arbor is growing.
Tree Town's population climbed above the 116,000 mark last year — up almost 2 percent from 2010, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Census estimates suggest Ann Arbor is a popular place to live.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Ann Arbor's population sat at 113,934 as of the 2010 census, a slight decrease from the decade before. Later estimates from July 2010 put it at 114,112.
By July 1, 2011, Ann Arbor's population was estimated at 115,167. And as of July 1, 2012, the timeframe for the new estimates, it went up again to 116,121.
With an extra 2,000-plus people calling this college town home, Ann Arbor is now the fifth-largest city in Michigan, trailing only Detroit (701,475), Grand Rapids (190,411), Warren (134,141), and Sterling Heights (130,410).
Since the 2010 census, Ann Arbor has traded places with Lansing, which used to have a slightly higher population. Based on the new estimates, Ann Arbor is now bigger than the state's capital city, which has seen its estimated population tick down to 113,996.
MLive reported on Thursday the new data shows Michigan's population is growing, but a state demographer said the estimates may be of little value for identifying local population changes. MLive reported the estimates look just at changes in the housing market.
The new estimates put the state's population at 9,883,360 — up 6,559 people from 2011. Washtenaw County's gain of 2,309 last year accounted for more than a third of that.
Washtenaw County's population clocked in at 350,946, up 0.7 percent from 2011. The county gained an estimated 5,596 residents from 2010 to 2012.
The new estimates show every single municipality in Washtenaw County saw at least some increase in its population last year.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.