... and you thought this was just a podunk hick-town full of raisin farmers.  

NOT!

According to the latest statistics released yesterday by the Department of Finance Fresno's population grew by 10,578 people in 2008.  That was enough to bump the city up over Long Beach and make it the fifth largest City in the State with a total population of 495,913.

TOP 10 CITIES IN CALIFORNIA

California's 10 most populous cities as of Jan. 1, 2009, with percentage of growth since 2008:

1. Los Angeles, 4,065,585, 1.1%

2. San Diego, 1,353,993, 1.5%

3. San Jose, 1,006,892, 2.2%

4. San Francisco, 845,559, 1.2%

5. Fresno, 495,913, 2.2%

6. Long Beach, 492,682, 0.6%

7. Sacramento, 481,097, 1.4%

8. Oakland, 425,068, 1.4%

9. Santa Ana, 355,662, 1.2%

10. Anaheim, 348,467, 0.9%

Source: California Department of Finance