Branson Area Population Grows 15%

The second-fastest growing metro area was Columbia, with 1.5 percent population growth in 2008 and 12.8 percent growth from 2000.

Branson, meanwhile, was the fastest-growing micropolitan area in Missouri, according to MERIC. A micropolitan area is defined as an urban cluster of between 10,000 and 50,000 people.

The Branson area had a population of 78,574 in 2008, up 1.8 percent - or 1,406 people - from 2007 and up 14.9 percent from 2000.
read full story...