the metropolitan area's population has grown 8.1 percent between census 2000 and the 2009 census population estimate, just under the national population growth rate of 9.2 percent over the same period. this growth rate is about in the middle of the growth rates of other similarly sized mid western metropolitan areas. for example, the cleveland metropolitan area lost approximately 2% of population, while louisville gained 8%, columbus gained 12%, and indianapolis gained 14% over the same time period.