A.V. CITIES NEAR TOP IN GROWTH OFFICIALS EXPECT NEED FOR CHANGES TO SERVE INFLUX OF NEW RESIDENTS.

Byline: JIM SKEEN Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Lancaster's population increased nearly 4.1 percent last year and Palmdale's 3.8 percent, but Palmdale retained its lead in total population, according to state estimates released Wednesday.

Palmdale grew to an estimated 141,012 inhabitants while Lancaster went up to 138,392 people, according to statistics released by the state Department of Finance.

In terms of percentage of growth, Lancaster and Palmdale ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in Los Angeles County, topped only by tiny Irwindale, which grew an estimated 4.4 percent, to 1,559 people.

Lancaster added an estimated 5,441 residents in 2005.

``We'll have to expand staffing and infrastructure to maintain current levels of services and plan for future infrastructure to meet this need,'' said Lancaster City Manager Bob LaSala. ``When you add 5,000 people, there's a demand for open space, traffic lights, schools and so on.''

Palmdale added 5,178 new residents, the state estimated.

``There is a demand for housing here,'' said Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford. ``People are looking to the Antelope Valley, to Palmdale, because it's still relatively affordable.''

Palmdale is seeing interest in housing on its east side and there are two large master-planned communities under construction on the west side - the 5,000-home Anaverde and the 7,200-home Ritter Ranch.

``I think it's going to increase,'' Palmdale Councilman Mike Dispenza said of the growth rate. ``With Anaverde and Ritter, we're going to be adding quite a few people.''

The growth will put pressure on the city to deal with issues of traffic, water and jobs, Dispenza said.

``It's going to be a challenge, no doubt about it,'' Dispenza said.

The Antelope Valley's other city, California City in Kern County, grew 4.2 percent, to 12,048 people. The city added 485 new residents in 2005, according to state statistics.

The fastest-growing city in California, in terms of percentage, was Lincoln in Northern California. It grew 22.6 percent, adding 6,181 people to bring its population to 33,589.

Numerically, the state's fastest-growing city was Temecula, which added 12,002 residents. Temecula's population is estimated to be 93,923.

Los Angeles County grew at 0.8 percent, adding 79,155 residents to bring the estimated county population to 10,245,572.

California as a whole added about 440,000 residents in 2005, a growth rate of 1.2 percent. The state's population is estimated to be nearly 37.2 million.

Municipal population estimates are based on changes in housing stock, including new construction, demolitions, housing unit conversions and annexations of property into city boundaries, according to the state Finance Department.

County and state populations are based on a variety of information, including birth and death counts, driver's license address change information, school enrollments, legal-immigration data and Medicare and Medicaid data.

james.skeen(at)dailynews

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