Rockville's population as of July 1, 2004, was estimated at 57,100, which was nearly 10,000 more people than lived in the city when the last census was taken in 2000.

Rockville has gained in population steadily since that census, and while it held the position as the fifth-largest city in the state in 2000, 2001 and 2002, it took fourth place in 2003 and moved to third in the latest ranking.

For many years in the 1990s Rockville was the state's second-largest city.

Other cities ranking in the top five, which have jostled positions in the years since the 2000 census, include Gaithersburg in second place (58,091), Frederick in fourth (57,009) and Bowie in fifth (53,840).

Baltimore stands well above the pack at 636,251, while Annapolis, the state capital, is ranked seventh at 36,217.

Of some other municipalities within the county:

*Takoma Park has 17,591, according to the 2004 statistics, up from 17,299 in the 2000 census;

*Poolesville has 5,447 residents, up from 5,151;

*Garrett Park has 940 residents, up from 917;

*Washington Grove has 534 residents, up from 515;

*Laytonsville has 320 residents, up from 277; and

*Brookeville has 126 residents, up six residents from the 2000 census.

A new legacy

City officials will join Rockville Housing Enterprises and developer Mid-City Urban next week in Rockville's Lincoln Park community to break ground for a new neighborhood.

The event, which is open to the public, will be held at 10:30 a.m. July 14 on Moore Drive. The project, dubbed "Legacy at Lincoln Park," involves demolishing 65 public housing units along the street and replacing them with 60 townhouses and single-family homes that will sell at a variety of income levels.

Twenty of the units will sell at market rate, 22 will sell to those earning 60 to 80 percent of the median income and 18 will be subsidized "housing choice voucher" units.

City officials are touting the privately financed project as the first in the country to redevelop public housing without the use of city, state or federal money.

Tenants of the former Lincoln Terrace apartments were relocated to make way for the project, and will have priority in buying the new units. Mid-City Urban is taking names of potential buyers.

Demolition of Lincoln Terrace will take place this summer, followed by construction of the new units. The first homes should be ready to occupy by next spring, city officials said.