Visitors returning to Norman after any length of time remark about how much we've grown. It's not just commercial development they see. It's also rooftops and the dreaded traffic congestion.

U.S. Census estimates, based on population counts between 2000 and 2007, give Norman a 10.3 percent gain in population. We now count 106,707 residents.

Norman had a big jump a couple of years ago when the annexation of Hall Park was completed. Our July 1, 2000, Census count put the number of Norman residents at 96,819. Norman's population increased from 105,230 to 106,707, between 2006 and 2007, Census Bureau estimates show.

Oklahoma's two largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, showed small gains in population from 2006 to 2007. Oklahoma City grew 8.1 percent between 2000 and 2007. Tulsa posted a negative 2.3 percent growth between in the same period.

Statewide, Oklahoma grew about 5 percent between 2000 and 2007. In 2007 we counted about 3.61 million noses compared to 3.45 million in 2000.

Norman has a lot to offer. We have a high-caliber university with top-rated academic, athletic and cultural programs, a progressive city council and Chamber of Commerce, top-ranked schools, affordable housing and residents who care their community.

The Money Magazine ranking of Norman as the sixth best small city in the country is another feather in our city's cap. Word gets out that Norman is a shining star in the region and people will want to move here or stay here.

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