More people poured into Fairfax, Arlington and Loudoun counties last year than in 2006, standing out in a Washington region where population gains were modest, according to new Census Bureau data.

Families tended to stay in the region’s inner core rather than venturing out to counties like Prince William, paying off for Fairfax in particular.

The affluent county lost residents in 2006, but about 8,000 people moved in last year, ranking Fairfax County ninth nationally in terms of numeric gains.

In Arlington, the population grew 1.7 percent compared with less than 1 percent the year before. And Alexandria increased by 1.3 percent, up from 0.5 percent in 2006, according to the census.

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In Loudoun, the number of residents continued to surge, rising 4.9 percent over 2006, ranking the wealthy county second in the nation in terms of the percentage increase.

The growth is just slightly higher than 2006 but far lower than previous years, when population figures jumped about 10 percent from year to year and Loudoun ranked as the nation’s fastest-growing county.

The suffering housing market is the major factor keeping population gains nationwide modest at best, said William Frey, senior research fellow for the Brookings Institution.

Maryland’s suburbs presented a different story.

Prince George’s County was the sole jurisdiction in the Washington region to experience a population drop, losing about 2,000 residents. Montgomery County, meanwhile, had a nearly 1 percent population jump — about on par with how the region fared collectively.

Paul DesJardin, a planner with the Washington Council of Governments, said it was important to note that the region finished 14th in the country in terms of the sheer number of people added.

“We’re still very high in absolute numbers,” he said. “That’s tremendous.”

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com