With a 1.7 percent population increase, Gilroy saw the the second highest growth rate in Santa Clara County in 2011, trumped only by Morgan Hill, according to the California Department of Finance.
Gilroy’s population reached 50,178 last year, a slow-but-steady growth rate in the midst of a lagging economy. The city’s growth rate was much higher than the state’s average of 0.7 percent.
Morgan Hill made it to the tenth slot on California’s top 10 fastest growing cities list, based on percentage change. Morgan Hill’s overall population – 39,127 is still less than Gilroy’s.
