Ridgefield was the third-fastest-growing city in Washington over the last year, according population estimates released by the state Office of Financial Management on Thursday.
The city along Interstate 5 north of Vancouver is home to 5,545 residents. It grew by 335 people, or 6.4 percent, between April 2012 and April 2013, according to the state data. Only Waverly and Port Orchard grew more quickly.
“Ridgefield was one of the first places to start seeing some housing construction coming out of the meltdown,” said Scott Bailey, regional economist for the state Employment Security Department.
Estimates show growth below 2 percent for Clark County’s other cities. Yacolt and Woodland were the slowest growing, each adding 0.6 percent to their populations. Vancouver grew 0.8 percent to 164,500, and maintained its rank as Washington’s fourth-largest city.
