The U.S. Census Bureau says the three-county Raleigh region was America's third fastest-growing metro area from 2006 to 2007 by rate, at 4.7 percent. It was also the 12th fastest growing by number of people: 47,052 -- or almost half a Cary. That's for Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties.

The Durham area, which the ever-inventive people-counting agency charts separately, grew about half as fast (2.2 percent), and one-fifth as much (10,428 people) during the same one-year period, according to the census report. That's for Durham, Orange, Chatham and Person counties.

Together the seven Triangle counties gained an estimated 57,480 people, or 3.9 percent. That would rank our region as the nation's ninth fastest-growing metro area, behind New Orleans and ahead of Grand Junction, Colo.

SCARIER STILL: Charlotte ranked as the nation's seventh fastest-growing metro area during the year, gaining more people (66,724) than Chicago, Austin Texas, Las Vegas or the combined Triangle.

"It's no big surprise that the Raleigh area and the Charlotte area are growing rapidly -- that hasn't change in 20 or 30 years," said Bill Tillman, the state demographer. "It would be news if they stopped growing."

Of course, Charlotte needed six counties in two states to do it.

So there, Queen City.

But don't get too excited, Triangle statistics lovers. The figures compare estimates over a short period, and they're a year old.

"The way to get maximum publicity without necessarily much accuracy is to look at the percentage growth from one annual estimate to another, and then rank them," Tillman said. "We don't highlight these numbers. We use them like one wing of an airplane, with other measures."

Parachute, anyone?