Here's the list of the 100 fastest-growing counties from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2003 (the last date for which the Census Bureau has an estimate): http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/CO-EST2003-09.html
I wanted to see which were the 3 counties that were among the 100 fastest growing but which voted for Senator Kerry over President Bush, and I must say that the answer makes it even more apparent that the GOP owns the exurbs. The 3 fastest-growing Kerry counties were:
Clark County, NV (#53 on the list): Clark County gave Kerry 51.7% of the vote, largely due to the fact that Las Vegas and some of its inner-ring suburbs (such as heavily black North Las Vegas) are in Clark County, but the fast-growing parts of the county vote Republican. If Clark County was split into three or four normal-sized counties instead of being a county that comprises 70% of Nevada's total population, only the inner-city county would have voted for Kerry.
Nantucket County, MA (#86 on the list): Nantucket County made the list because its small population grew by 1,204 people in the 3+ years in question, from 9,520 to 10,724. It is by no means an exurban county, and its growth comes from an increase in wealthy resort denizens who have chosen to make their "cottages" their primary home.
Chatham County, NC (#100 on the list): Chatham County is the only true exurban county carried by Kerry among the 100 fastest growing, but it is the exception that proves the rule, since (i) it barely made the list of the fastest-growing counties, (ii) a large chunk of its population growth came from Hispanic immigrants who moved there to work in the poultry industry, and most of them are not U.S. citizens and thus unable to vote, and (iii) Kerry's unofficial winning margin in the county was 5 votes, and it is quite possible that when they add all of the absentee votes to the official numbers it will turn out that President Bush actually carried the county in 2004.
So stating that in 2004 President Bush carried 97 of the 100 fastest-growing counties in America actually underestimates President Bush's dominance in fast-growing communities.
That is really good news. We should add the the Hispanic populations moving in that are not citizens and not allowed to vote, but may do so illegally. Ask Bob Doran about illegals voting...
Well, after the 2010 census, the red states may pick up 10+_ EV's from the blues after reapportionment..
Chatham went to Gore as well. It's 17% black and about 10% Latino. (As of 2000)
Clark is 20% Latino and 9% black overall. (37% and 19% in North LV, 23% and 10% in Vegas itself)