Seven California communities made this year's ranking of the 25 fastest-growing big cities in the country, according to statistics released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Lancaster ranked 10th in the country, with a population of nearly 141,000 -- up 5% over the previous year.
"We're really the last area in L.A. County that has space to grow," said Steve Malicott, president and chief executive of the Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce. "We have room and a lot of it."
Other cities on the list included Bakersfield, Visalia, Irvine, Fontana, Elk Grove and Palmdale.
The statistics are based on residential construction in cities with populations of 100,000 or more from July 1, 2005, to July 1, 2006, said Greg Harper, a Census Bureau demographer.
Lancaster city officials said affordable homes and a business-friendly environment have fueled the rapid growth.
"When you look at us overall, we pretty much have it going on," said Mayor Henry Hearns, who also is a pastor at a church east of Palmdale. "The word has gotten out. People who want to move out to California think that this is a good place to raise a family."
Lancaster has numerous sports fields. And it is well placed for recreation, with the beach, mountains, ski resorts and desert all within a two-hour drive.
City officials are holding town hall meetings and inviting residents to give their input on the area's future.
Among the goals are to continue reducing crime and to attract more high-paying jobs, so that tens of thousands of residents will not have to commute from the Antelope Valley to jobs elsewhere in Los Angeles County.
"If we can keep those people here and off the highways, their quality of life will be better," Malicott said.
Though several of the fastest-growing cities were in Southern California, a few were in the Central Valley and one was in the northern part of the state.
Elk Grove, a community near Sacramento that ranked first last year, was 24th.
"The lower the better," Mayor James Cooper joked.
The city has a population of more than 129,000, up more than 3% over the previous year. Cooper said it has been difficult keeping up with new residents moving into the city. In a unique effort, the streets, parks and schools of one new community are being built before the homes.
"Developers didn't like it, but the public did," Cooper said.
