Gilroy Population Climbs 1.1 Percent in 2010

Gilroy grew by 555 people from 2010-11, according to recent population reports by the California Department of Finance.

The report, which uses the  as a benchmark, shows Gilroy growing from a total population of 48,836 in 2010 to a total population of 49,391 as of January 2011, a 1.1 percent growth.

over the past 10 years—a 17.7 percent growth, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Cupertino grew second fastest, at 15.5 percent.

The report, released Friday, also showed that California has 37.51 million residents as of Jan. 1. The state grew by almost 287,000 new residents in 2010.

The report includes 481 California cities, of which 442 had gains in population, 32 lost population, and seven experienced no change.

The state Department of Finance uses several data sources to estimate local and regional populations, including housing, driver’s licenses and tax returns. The projections are trusted by city planners, but they are not without discrepancy; the recent census count found Gilroy to have a population that was 3,191 people less than the state's estimate of 52, 027.