Suffolk continues to be one of the fastest-growing localities in the state and is outpacing the rest of the region, as well as the state and nation.

The city’s population as of July 1, 2016, has been estimated to be 91,722, according to the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.

The growth marks an 8.4-percent growth since the 2010 census, which pegged the city’s population at 84,585.

Suffolk Economic Development Director Kevin Hughes said the growth is exciting.

“I think it’s exciting to see that people view Suffolk as an opportunity and that making a home here is a meaningful investment,” he said. “The steady population increase continues to verify that Suffolk is a special place with a bright future.”

Suffolk had the largest percentage change since the 2010 census in Hampton Roads, with Chesapeake close behind at 8.2 percent. Suffolk also grew at a faster rate than the state as a whole, which grew by 5.1 percent during the period.

Last year’s Cooper Center estimate was the first time the city’s estimated population crested 90,000.

Statewide, only 15 localities grew at a faster rate than Suffolk since the 2010 census. They were Loudoun County (23.4 percent), Falls Church (14.5 percent), Arlington County (14 percent), Alexandria (13.9 percent), New Kent County (13.4 percent), Charlottesville (12.9 percent), Prince William County (11.5 percent), Fredericksburg (11.3 percent), Harrisonburg (10.9 percent), Manassas Park (10.7 percent), Stafford County (10 percent), Manassas (10 percent), James City County (9.9 percent), Williamsburg (9.7 percent) and Richmond (8.6 percent).

Other cities in Hampton Roads also saw positive growth.

The estimates are important, because they are used in funding formulations based on per capita allocations, as well as in planning, budgeting, applying for grants and performing other official functions.

The Cooper Center’s population estimates are produced using housing stock, school enrollment, births, deaths and licensed drivers. They are the official figures for the state.

Virginia’s population growth has slowed since the 2010 census, according to the Weldon Cooper Center, but it continues to grow faster than the nation as a whole.

Virginia’s 5.1-percent growth since the 2010 census makes the commonwealth the 19th fastest-growing state. The nation as a whole grew 4.7 percent during the same period.

Ninety percent of the state’s growth since 2010 has been concentrated in its three largest metropolitan areas — Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads — while many rural communities have declined in population.

Fewer people moving into Virginia has contributed to the slower pace of growth, according to the Weldon Cooper Center. For the past three years, more people have moved out of the commonwealth than into it.

The Weldon Cooper Center identified federal budget cuts and retirees moving to states such as Florida and South Carolina as the reason for the decline. The death rate in Virginia has also risen by 10 percent in the past five years, while the birth rate remains lower than before the recession.