Arena Place construction 08

View of downtown Grand Rapids from the Arena Place construction site, 55 Ottawa Avenue SW, Friday, Jan. 22, 2016. (Cory Morse | MLive.com)

(Cory Morse)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Grand Rapids and its surrounding area is the fastest-growing population center in Michigan, according to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The rate of increase in Barry, Kent, Montcalm and Ottawa counties was 15 times higher than the state as a whole, from July 2014 to July 2015. Population in those four counties that make up the Grand Rapids-Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area increased by 9,621, or 0.9 percent, according to census data released Thursday, March 24.

Across the state, population grew 0.06 percent to 9.9 million.

On a county level, Kent and Ottawa ranked 1-2 in the state: Kent added 6,144 people, nearly double the next-highest county, and Ottawa grew at the highest rate in the state at 1.2 percent.

Allegan County ranked fifth in growth at 0.8 percent, with Kalamazoo County tied for 8th at 0.5 percent and Muskegon County 14th at 0.3 percent. Only 27 of Michigan's 83 counties added population from July 2014 to July 2015.

RELATED: When Metro Grand Rapids first topped 1 million people

A higher number of births than deaths accounts for about two-thirds of the population increase in the Grand Rapids metro area. The area also had a net migration increase of 2,954 people, with about 70 percent of that figure coming from outside the country.

Compared to the 2010 census, population in the Grand Rapids metro area is up 5 percent, or 49,645. The area remains ranked 52nd out of 381 metropolitan statistical areas across the country, in terms of population, although it ranked lower in growth between July 2014 and July 2015: 58th in population increase by number, and 138th by percentage.

Elsewhere in West Michigan, the Kalamazoo-Portage metro area grew 0.4 percent and remains ranked 151st in population nationwide.

The Muskegon metro area grew 0.3 percent, falling three spots to 239th nationwide.

The South Bend-Mishawaka metro area grew 0.2 percent, holding steady at 155th nationwide.

The Niles-Benton Harbor metro area lost population, down 0.4 percent, dropping it four spots to 264th nationwide. Population in the Battle Creek metro area also declined 0.4 percent, holding steady at 298th nationwide.

Wayne County, which includes Detroit, lost 6,673 residents, or 0.4 percent, from July 2014 to July 2015. That's second to Cook County, Illinois for the largest drop in the country. Population in the Detroit metro area that includes Wayne was flat, holding steady as the 14th largest nationwide.

Michigan's growth was the smallest in the country among states that added population, although seven states including Illinois lost residents. West Virginia had the biggest loss, by percentage, with a 0.25-percent decline. Illinois lost the most residents, with a population decline of 22,194.

Nationwide, population was up about 2.5 million, or 0.8 percent. North Dakota had the largest growth, by percentage, at 2.3 percent. In raw numbers of people, Texas topped the list by adding nearly 500,000. Florida, California, Georgia and Washington rounded out the top five. Michigan was 38th.

Matt Vande Bunte writes about government and other issues on MLive. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.