Final answer:
The absolute increase in the town's population from 2006 to 2012 is 2,400 people. The relative, or percent, increase is approximately 68.6%.
Step-by-step explanation:
The absolute increase in population is found by subtracting the initial population in 2006 from the final population in 2012. Therefore, the absolute increase is 5,900 - 3,500 = 2,400 people.
To find the relative increase, or percent increase, we take the absolute increase, divide it by the initial population and multiply the result by 100. That gives us (2,400/3,500) * 100 = 68.6, which rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent is 68.6%.
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