Atlanta among fastest growing U.S. cities.

Newly released data shows Atlanta was one of the nation’s fastest growing cities from 2007 to 2008.

Census data released Wednesday shows Atlanta among its top 25 fastest growing cities with populations over 100,000, as measured by the number of new individuals. The bureau found the population shifted from 520,368 persons in July 2007 to 537,958 in July 2008.

The data showed the population of New Orleans grew 8.2 percent in 2008, faster than any other large city in the nation. New York led the nation’s cities in numerical increase during the period, adding more than 53,000 residents.