Census: Rio Rancho passes Santa Fe

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico's two fastest growing cities flank the state's largest city of Albuquerque.

Figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau show Rio Rancho grew by more than 69 percent between 2000 and 2010, while Los Lunas grew by nearly 48 percent.

That's no surprise.

Earlier in the decade, officials in both cities pointed to Albuquerque as the reason for their rapid growth.

Rio Rancho also outstripped Santa Fe for the title of New Mexico's third largest city.

Rio Rancho now has more than 87,000 residents, while Santa Fe fell to fourth place with nearly 68,000 residents.

Albuquerque has nearly 546,000 residents.

The state's second-largest city, Las Cruces in southern New Mexico, grew by 31 percent to nearly 98,000.

(The Associated Press plans to update and expand this report.  Please check back for more.)