A U.S. Census Bureau’s population estimate for Suffolk indicates the continues to grow, is outpacing the state’s growth and is keeping pace with growth in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area.

The Census Bureau’s population estimate for Suffolk — 86,806 — is a bit lower than the number predicted by the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Demographics Research Group back in January.

The Weldon Cooper Center estimated that about 89,586 people lived in Suffolk as of July 1 of last year. It based those estimates on housing stock, school enrollment, births, deaths and licensed drivers.

At the 2010 census, 84,585 people lived in Suffolk. This year’s census estimate is about a 2.6-percent change from then and a 1.2-percent change from last year’s census estimate.

Meanwhile, the state as a whole grew 4.1 percent in those four years, outpacing Suffolk, but only seven-tenths of a percent in the last year, only a little more than half Suffolk’s rate

The Hampton Roads metropolitan area saw a 2-percent change from 2010 to 2014 and a 1-percent change from last year.

The yearly estimates are not just educated guesses — 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.

Since 2010, the fastest-growing locality in Virginia was the city of Fredericksburg. Its population grew 16.7 percent, to 28,350 last year.

The second fastest-growing locality from 2010 to 2014 was Loudoun County. Its population jumped 16.2 percent, to 363,050.

For the one-year period, from 2013 to 2014, Loudoun County grew 3.4 percent — more than any other locality in Virginia.

Virginia’s total population was estimated at 8.3 million.