New census information shows that Minneapolis' population grew by 9,430 between 2010 and 2012, bringing the city's estimated population to 392,008.
Overall, the Twin Cities metro area has gained about 59,000 people since 2010, up to 2.9 million, says the Metropolitan Council.
St. Paul, the state's second largest city, grew by 4,202 over the two years to 289,270.
The Met Council says it's cyclical, and that "the Twin Cities area’s economic resilience and quality of life are again attracting new residents from outside the region."
That's also part of a national trend of movement into major metro areas.
Met Council demographer Todd Graham said much of the Minneapolis growth is attributable to a building boom of apartment buildings.
"We’re seeing a greater interest in both urban living and rental housing," Graham said. "Some of this may be due to homebuyers’ cautiousness. But longer-term, there is a real shift in residential preferences. Both Baby Boomers and newly independent Millennials are placing greater value on central locations and urban amenities."
Met Council Chair Susan Haigh said:
"I’m pleased to see growth occurring primarily where there’s infrastructure to support it. Growth that occurs where infrastructure already exists creates economies of scale and promotes efficiency, which improves the region’s ability to focus energy and resources on economic development."
The Met Council website has PDFs with the new metro population estimates.