By Pat Minelli, Staff Writer

The housing-market slump in the Twin Cities area is well known, but the city of Shakopee gained 754 residents — an increase of 2.3 percent — between July 1, 2007 and July 1 last year, according to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The 2.3 percent increase pushed Shakopee’s 2008 population to an estimated 33,455.

Savage, Scott County’s second-largest city, had an estimated population of 27,692 on July 1, 2008. Savage also showed an increase over the previous year — by 767 residents, or by about 2.9 percent. Prior Lake grew by 487 in the one-year period, or by 2.1 percent, to 23,836. Jordan’s population grew by 166 to 5,445, an increase of 3.1 percent.

Chaska’s population stood at an estimated 24,116 last year, up 216 from July 1 the previous year. Belle Plaine had 6,648 inhabitants, a gain of 343 from the previous year.

The Census Bureau also reported that the population of Minneapolis remained about the same — statistically — with 382,605, while St. Paul dipped by 2.5 percent to 279,950.

The growth rate of the southwest metropolitan area between 2000 and 2008 continues to be astounding, although it has slowed in the past couple of years.

Shakopee grew from its official census population of 21,084 in 2000 to 33,455 on July 1 last year — an increase of 12,371, or by nearly 59 percent in the eight-year period.

Prior Lake’s population increased by 46 percent between 2000 and 2008, from 16,322 to 23,836.

Savage grew by just over 28 percent in the period, from 21,607 to 27,692.

The third-largest city in Minnesota continues to boom. Rochester grew by almost 16 percent — by 12,771 to an estimated 100,413 — since 2000.