Santa Fe's growth during the last decade was outpaced by that of most New Mexico metropolitan areas, according to the 2010 Census.

"The big story is that Santa Fe didn't grow as quickly as you would have thought," said Jack Baker, a demographer for The University of New Mexico's Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

The April 1, 2010, count put Santa Fe city's population at 67,947 — up 9.2 percent from 2000 — Santa Fe County at 144,170 — up 11.5 percent.

New Mexico's 2010 population is just over 2 million — up 13.2 percent from 2000.

Rio Rancho topped the list of the state's fastest-growing cities, with an increase of 69.1 percent bringing its population to 87,521. Its home county, Sandoval, grew to 131,561, an increase of 46.3 percent.

Albuquerque grew by 21.7 percent to 662,564. In Las Cruces, an increase of 31.4 percent brought the population to 97,618. Roswell's population increased to 48,366 — at 6.8 percent growth, the only New Mexico metropolitan area to grow more slowly than Santa Fe.

Baker said it remains an open question why Santa Fe grew more slowly than the rest of New Mexico.

"It's probably a couple of things," he said, "one being the post-recession housing dynamics and some migration that's been associated with that. ... Some people have been moving in during the recession, surprisingly, and other people have been moving back home."

Hispanics continue to hold the majorities in Santa Fe and New Mexico, according to the Census figures released this week.

The city of Santa Fe was 48.7 percent Hispanic and 46.2 percent Anglo, while Santa Fe County was 50.6 percent Hispanic and 43.9 percent Anglo, the Census shows.

Statewide, New Mexico was 46.3 percent Hispanic and 40.5 percent Anglo. New Mexico's Native American population increased from more than 173,000 in 2000 to more than 193,000 in 2010, but the Native American percentage of the total population dropped from 9.5 percent to 9.4 percent.

However, when the population of Native Americans is counted to include people of more than one race, the percentage grew from 10.5 percent in 2000 to 10.7 percent in 2010.

Baker said he has yet to analyze ethnicity changes, but preliminary figures indicate Anglos tend to be more mobile than Hispanics in the Santa Fe area.

"(Anglos) tend to move in and out and they follow jobs, whereas Hispanics in the area, they tend to stay put there a little more when they move there," he said.

Hispanics are also responsible for most of its growth over the past decade, according to the Census.

New Mexico increased by more than 240,000 people over the decade to 2 million, with 78 percent of that increase from Hispanics.

"New Mexico didn't have a huge population increase ... but the majority of the population increase was Hispanic," said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

The Hispanic population has grown from 42.1 percent of New Mexico's 2000 population to 46.3 percent of its 2010 population. California has the second-highest rate of Hispanics, with 38 percent, Vargas said.

New Mexico, which reached 1 million people for the first time in 1970, hit the 2 million mark in 2010.

However, growth over the past decade was slower than it has been historically. New Mexico registered a 20.1 percent population increase between 1990 and 2000.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

POPULATION GROWTH N.M. CITIES

Percent population growth from 2000 to 2010

Albuquerque: 21.7

Las Cruces: 31.4

Rio Rancho: 69.1

Santa Fe: 9.2

N.M. COUNTIES

Bernalillo: 19 percent

Doña Ana: 19.8

Santa Fe: 11.5

Sandoval: 46.3

San Juan: 14.3