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During a period when the economy was grinding to a halt, Southwest Florida still had robust population growth.

From 2006 to 2007, Lee County was the fastest growing county in Florida, expanding by 20,475 people. With the exception of the barrier islands, Lee’s growth was countywide but particularly came in the central and northern sections.

“That’s off from our growth rate of 28,000 of the last few years, but it is still an amazing rate of growth,” Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah said. “That’s why I feel we’ll be able to bust out of this economic slowdown.”

Collier County grew as well but only by one/ fourth of the rate. Collier added 2,672 people from 2006 to 2007, although the growth came in incorporated areas, as both Naples and Marco Island shrank in population.

“That doesn’t sound very credible to me,” Naples City Manager Bill Moss said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was minimal growth, but we’ve had more people coming than going.”

The U.S. Census Bureau released these new population figures as part of its annual population estimates of the nation’s states, counties, cities and towns. The bureau only does actual population counting once every 10 years, the last one in 2000.

With the exception again of Lee’s barrier islands, every incorporated area in Lee and Collier showed phenomenal growth since 2000. Bonita Springs, Everglades City, Fort Myers and Cape Coral — and the overall populations of Lee and Collier — were well above the growth rate of Florida from the same time period.

In one year, Bonita Springs grew by 1,390 people to 42,268. Since the city formed in 2000, its population grew by 28.9 percent.

“Had it not been for the recession or depression or whatever we’ve having now, it would have been more,” Bonita City Manager Gary Price said.

Naples, on the other hand, lost 212 people in that one/ year span. The city still has growth since 2000, but only at 3.2 percent, which is far below Southwest Florida and the state as a whole.

“We’ve built out, for the most part, and most of our population increases have been by annexation,” said Robin Singer, Naples planning director.

Cities don’t rely on the U.S. Census as an accurate projection of population. Instead, they — and the state in its revenue sharing — use the figures released by the University of Florida, which also takes into account other factors like annexations and part/ time residents.

For 2007, the UF put the Naples population at 23,101, while the Bonita estimate was around 43,000.

“The U.S. Census is always a little behind and a little lower,” Price said.

Marco Island also had a slight reduction in people, losing 202 from 2006 to 2007 but still managing 6 percent growth since 2000, according to the U.S. Census. Everglades City’s population increased by six people in the one/ year span, and it is up 29.2 percent since 2000.

Fort Myers and Cape Coral grew by 6.2 and 3.9 percent from 2006 to 2007, continuing the swelling since 2000 as Fort Myers increased by 33.3 percent and Cape Coral by 53.5 percent.

Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island had the only population losses in Lee County, as both barrier island decreased from 2006 to 2007 and overall since 2000.

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The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released its 2007 population estimates for all states, counties and incorporated areas. The bureau does an actual census every 10 years while estimating population every year. Here’s how Southwest Florida stacked up:

Area / 2007 estimate / 2006 estimate / 2000 actual / % change from 2006 / %change from 2000

Florida -- 18,251,243 / 18,057,508 / 15,982,378 / 1.1% / 14.2%

Lee County -- 590,564 / 570,089 / 440,888 / 3.6% / 33.9%

Collier County -- 315,839 / 313,167 / 251,377 / 0.8% / 25.6%

Bonita Springs -- 42,268 / 40,878 / 32,797 / 3.4% / 28.9%

Naples -- 21,653 / 21,865 / 20,976 / -1.0% / 3.2%

Marco Island -- 15,791 / 15,993 / 14,893* / -1.2% / 6.0%

Everglades City -- 619 / 613 / 479 / 1.0% / 29.2%

Fort Myers Beach -- 6,474 / 6,543 / 6,561 / -1.1% / -1.3%

Fort Myers -- 64,258 / 60,481 / 48,208 / 6.2% / 33.3%

Sanibel -- 5,700 / 5,798 / 6,064 / -1.7% / -6.0%

Cape Coral -- 156,981 / 151,044 / 102,286 / 3.9% / 53.5%

*2000 actual not available; 2000 estimate was used

Source: U.S. Census Bureau