The new population figures are greater than the tallies released in March by the federal Census Bureau but smaller than the estimates announced last year by the state. In March, the federal figures placed Lancaster at 118,718 and Palmdale at 116,670 - considerably less than the state's May 2000 estimate of 132,402 for Lancaster and 122,392 for Palmdale. Palmdale City Manager Bob Toone said he expects his city to continue growing faster than Lancaster for about a dozen years before the expansion of the two cities balances out for the long run. Being bigger will not mean being better for either municipality, Toone said. In the large cities, residents don't receive the quality of services they should be getting.
Citizens are much better off being in a city in the intermediate range.
It's about building value into a family-oriented community.