Rio Rancho grows the fastest, while Hobbs slips in oil patch.

Byline: Pete Herrera The Associated Press

Hobbs barber Oscar Lopez doesn't need a government report to tell him how people are doing in the southeast New Mexico city. His empty barber chair is a good enough gauge.

Across the state, Rio Rancho Mayor John Jennings gets the opposite impression every time he drives through the sprawling community. The signs of good times are everywhere.

The latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau on estimated population figures for New Mexico cities, towns and villages reflect the tough economic times facing the oil patch of southeast New Mexico, with Hobbs losing the most population, and the booming industrial environment in Rio Rancho, the …