Latest Census Bureau State Population Estimates And Growth Rates

[shanthemanatl]

From the US Census Bureau:

Table A. Leading 10 States/Equivalents by Population Changes: July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2006

Top 10 Fastest-Growing

State Percent Change
1. Arizona 3.6
2. Nevada 3.5
3. Idaho 2.6
4. Georgia 2.5
5. Texas 2.5
6. Utah 2.4
7. North Carolina 2.1
8. Colorado 1.9
9. Florida 1.8
10. South Carolina 1.7

Top 10 Numeric Gainers


State Change

1. Texas 579,275
2. Florida 321,697
3. California 303,402
4. Georgia 231,388
5. Arizona 213,311
6. North Carolina 184,046
7. Washington 103,899
8. Colorado 90,082
9. Nevada 83,228
10. Tennessee 83,058

[ColDayMan]

(Too lazy to seperate them)

Fastest-growing states State -- Population 7/1/06 -- Population 7/1/05 -- Difference % Change

Arizona 6,166,318 5,953,007 213,311 3.58%
Nevada 2,495,529 2,412,301 83,228 3.45%
Idaho 1,466,465 1,429,367 37,098 2.60%
Georgia 9,363,941 9,132,553 231,388 2.53%
Texas 23,507,783 22,928,508 579,275 2.53%
Utah 2,550,063 2,490,334 59,729 2.40%
North Carolina 8,856,505 8,672,459 184,046 2.12%
Colorado 4,753,377 4,663,295 90,082 1.93%
Florida 18,089,888 17,768,191 321,697 1.81%
South Carolina 4,321,249 4,246,933 74,316 1.75%
Oregon 3,700,758 3,638,871 61,887 1.70%
Washington 6,395,798 6,291,899 103,899 1.65%
New Mexico 1,954,599 1,925,985 28,614 1.49%
Delaware 853,476 841,741 11,735 1.39%
Tennessee 6,038,803 5,955,745 83,058 1.39%
Arkansas 2,810,872 2,775,708 35,164 1.27%
Wyoming 515,004 508,798 6,206 1.22%
Alabama 4,599,030 4,548,327 50,703 1.11%
Montana 944,632 934,737 9,895 1.06%
Virginia 7,642,884 7,564,327 78,557 1.04%
Alaska 670,053 663,253 6,800 1.03%
Oklahoma 3,579,212 3,543,442 35,770 1.01%
Hawaii 1,285,498 1,273,278 12,220 0.96%
South Dakota 781,919 774,883 7,036 0.91%
California 36,457,549 36,154,147 303,402 0.84%
Kentucky 4,206,074 4,172,608 33,466 0.80%
Minnesota 5,167,101 5,126,739 40,362 0.79%
Missouri 5,842,713 5,797,703 45,010 0.78%
Indiana 6,313,520 6,266,019 47,501 0.76%
New Hampshire 1,314,895 1,306,819 8,076 0.62%
Kansas 2,764,075 2,748,172 15,903 0.58%
Nebraska 1,768,331 1,758,163 10,168 0.58%
Iowa 2,982,085 2,965,524 16,561 0.56%
Wisconsin 5,556,506 5,527,644 28,862 0.52%
Illinois 12,831,970 12,765,427 66,543 0.52%
Maryland 5,615,727 5,589,599 26,128 0.47%
Pennsylvania 12,440,621 12,405,348 35,273 0.28%
New Jersey 8,724,560 8,703,150 21,410 0.25%
Maine 1,321,574 1,318,220 3,354 0.25%
West Virginia 1,818,470 1,814,083 4,387 0.24%
Vermont 623,908 622,387 1,521 0.24%
North Dakota 635,867 634,605 1,262 0.20%
Connecticut 3,504,809 3,500,701 4,108 0.12%
Mississippi 2,910,540 2,908,496 2,044 0.07%
Massachusetts 6,437,193 6,433,367 3,826 0.06%
Ohio 11,478,006 11,470,685 7,321 0.06%
New York 19,306,183 19,315,721 -9,538 -0.05%
Michigan 10,095,643 10,100,833 -5,190 -0.05%
District of Columbia 581,530 582,049 -519 -0.09%
Rhode Island 1,067,610 1,073,579 -5,969 -0.56%
Louisiana 4,287,768 4,507,331 -219,563 -4.87%

[mhays]

It looks like Washington ought to pass Massachusetts for 13th place by the 2007 estimate...right before Arizona passes Washington probably by 2009.

[dimondpark]

The California State Department of Finance puts the state's population at 37.4 Million-about 1 Million MORE then the Census Bureau.

[dfane]

I didnt realize Pennsylvania was the 6th largest state, just behind Illinois.

[Steely Dan]

ranked by '06 estimated population:


State -- Population 7/1/06

California - 36,457,549
Texas - 23,507,783
New York - 19,306,183
Florida - 18,089,888
Illinois - 12,831,970
Pennsylvania - 12,440,621
Ohio - 11,478,006
Michigan - 10,095,643
Georgia - 9,363,941
North Carolina - 8,856,505

New Jersey - 8,724,560
Virginia - 7,642,884
Massachusetts - 6,437,193
Washington - 6,395,798
Indiana - 6,313,520
Arizona 6,166,318
Tennessee - 6,038,803
Missouri - 5,842,713
Maryland - 5,615,727
Wisconsin - 5,556,506

Minnesota - 5,167,101
Colorado - 4,753,377
Alabama - 4,599,030
South Carolina - 4,321,249
Louisiana - 4,287,768
Kentucky - 4,206,074
Oregon - 3,700,758
Oklahoma - 3,579,212
Connecticut - 3,504,809
Iowa - 2,982,085

Mississippi - 2,910,540
Arkansas - 2,810,872
Kansas - 2,764,075
Utah - 2,550,063
Nevada 2,495,529
New Mexico - 1,954,599
West Virginia - 1,818,470
Nebraska - 1,768,331
Idaho - 1,466,465
Maine - 1,321,574

New Hampshire - 1,314,895
Hawaii - 1,285,498
Rhode Island - 1,067,610
Montana - 944,632
Delaware - 853,476
South Dakota - 781,919
Alaska - 670,053
North Dakota - 635,867
Vermont - 623,908 6
District of Columbia - 581,530

Wyoming - 515,004

[Jersey Mentality]

Georgia is growing like crazy its almost at 10 mill, its seems like yesterday Georgia had numbers in the 6 million range.

[village person]

God, Florida, slow down! Go back to Ohio!

[Lexy]

God, Florida, slow down! Go back to Ohio!

Or Canada. LOL!!!! J/K

[PhillyRising]

New York City still has more people than 39 states........

[hauntedheadnc]

Florida: A nice place to retire before you move to North Carolina!

[R@ptor]

The population losses of Louisiana, Michigan and DC are hardly a surprise and were to be expected, but what was responsible for the population losses of New York and Rhode Island?

[roner]

What's up with Mississippi? It's in the south, has good beaches and nice weather, but is 42nd in growth.

[village person]

^Considering these are 2005-2006 stats, remember what that "nice weather" did to those "good beaches."

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/79/Katrina2005filledrainblk.GIF/462px-Katrina2005filledrainblk.GIF

http://www.mobilecopropertytax.com/katrina_wind_swath.gif

[Jularc]

but what was responsible for the population losses of New York?


NEW YORK POPULATION GOES SOUTH


By ANDY SOLTIS
December 22, 2006

New York was one of four states to lose population this year - and may soon be overtaken by fast-growing Florida, U.S. Census Bureau figures show.

The Empire State's 19.3 million people trail only California's 36.5 million and Texas' 23.5 million. But Florida added 321,697 in the year ending July 1 and has 18.1 million, data released yesterday show.

New York lost 9,538 people. If the trend continues, it will fall to fourth place by the end of the decade.

The exodus is partly attributable to immigrants' entering the country through New York City, then moving to areas with lower costs of living.

But Robert Ward of the Business Council of New York State said it could also be attributed to workers' heading for Texas and other states that are gaining jobs at faster rates.

"People are moving elsewhere in search of opportunities they're not finding in New York," he said.

There was other evidence of Sun Belt growth:

* New Jersey was elbowed from the top 10 by North Carolina. The Garden State grew by 21,410 to 8.7 million, North Carolina by 184,046 to 8.9 million.

* Texas gained the most people, 579,275, but Arizona grew the fastest at 3.6 percent - ending Nevada's 19-year run.

* The South grew 1.4 percent, or by 1.5 million, but the biggest loser was post-Katrina Louisiana, dropping about 5 percent, or nearly 220,000 people.


Copyright 2006 NYP Holdings, Inc.

[LouisianaRush]

Katrina reers her ugly head again and gives us a population loss for the 1st time. The papers in New Orleans and Baton Rouge are saying we will loose a representive in congress over this. ugh

[Tex1899]

The population losses of Louisiana, Michigan and DC are hardly a surprise and were to be expected, but what was responsible for the population losses of New York and Rhode Island?

I think Rhode Island's population has been stagnant since 1990...seems like that census showed RI's population exceeding 1 million, whereas the 1980 census had a 900k population.

And didn't NY have a population of 18 million in the 1970 census?

[atl2phx]

^^^mississippi is suffering from a katrina hangover as is louisiana.

[austin356]

What's up with Mississippi? It's in the south, has good beaches and nice weather, but is 42nd in growth.

It is in the position Alabama was in in the early 90s. Economy not very good and lots of rural population (which doesnt grow).

There are some major upsides for the future, which include the dramatic rebuilding of the coast after katrina (very very progressive and pro-transit rhetoric). The Casino market is the largest in the nation behind Vegas and is gaining market share with about 20 new casinos under development around the state. And the capital city, Jackson, poor and crime ridden is bottoming. Also the suburban Memphis area of north MS is on fire and will add a couple hundred thousand over the foreseeable future.


They need a new manufacturing base like Alabama built over the last decade. Alabama's unemployment rate is 3% while Mississippi's is 7% (inflated due to hurricane).

[Tex1899]

They need a new manufacturing base like Alabama built over the last decade. Alabama's unemployment rate is 3% while Mississippi's is 7% (inflated due to hurricane).

The new auto mfg plant about 20 minutes north of Jackson is a good start.

[hudkina]

Aren't most of the Census Bureau's estimates based on home sales data? Maybe Rhode Island, New York, Michigan, and Louisiana didn't have significant home sales last year?

[AZheat]

California must have almost as many people moving out as are moving in by the looks of the modest percentage of growth. I imagine that housing prices have alot to do with it. There is one state that I've always thought would start growing by leaps and bounds and that's New Mexico. The climate is desireable and places like Santa Fe and Albuquerque are very attractive cities.

[austin356]

Something to note: Alabama's growth rate has more than doubled compared to the y2k to y2005.


Anyone have an explanation for such dramatic change in such a short period of time? I know a relatively nice economy has been a plus, also I wonder how much of the growth was Hispanics? Was there some type of stigma that has faded? Any perception change nationally for you guys living outside the south?

[austin356]

Katrina reers her ugly head again and gives us a population loss for the 1st time. The papers in New Orleans and Baton Rouge are saying we will loose a representive in congress over this. ugh

Good, a state with bad policy emanating from itself loses a seat. Great news. Thanks for the update. The seat will be gained by a Texas, Georgia, Arizona, etc that is producing results.

[der Reisender]

as per austin's question on Alabama's sudden growth, my guess, as someone who lives far away from the South, would be Katrina refugees. anyone closer to the area know something definitive? the NW perception of Alabama hasn't changed

[Paintballer1708]

Pennsylvania's growth is really starting to pick up. A couple of years ago we would have been close to the bottom of that list. Two suprising states are North Dakota and West Virginia.

[DruidCity]

Something to note: Alabama's growth rate has more than doubled compared to the y2k to y2005.

My theory (probably wrong) is that we were undercounted in 2005, so some of this 2005-to-2006 "growth" could be the census finally crediting some of the people who were already living here.

Despite temporary losses from Katrina, Mississippi has some bright spots.
The two main casino areas, Biloxi and Tunica, have very bright futures, and some individual towns around the state like Tupelo and Oxford seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. What MS doesn't have is a growing, major urban area.

[passdoubt]

Pennsylvania's growth is really starting to pick up. A couple of years ago we would have been close to the bottom of that list. Two suprising states are North Dakota and West Virginia.
PA's growth is only due to the fact that NYC's sprawl is reaching into the Poconos and Lehigh Valley, and DC/Balto's sprawl is reaching into South-Central PA. It's kinda vomit-inducing growth.

[LouisianaRush]

Good, a state with bad policy emanating from itself loses a seat. Great news. Thanks for the update. The seat will be gained by a Texas, Georgia, Arizona, etc that is producing results.

Great maybe Texas can give us another George W Bush or a Tom Delay!!! :rolleyes:

[PhillyRising]

PA's growth is only due to the fact that NYC's sprawl is reaching into the Poconos and Lehigh Valley, and DC/Balto's sprawl is reaching into South-Central PA. It's kinda vomit-inducing growth.

Isn't that how the Sun Belt grows?

[Paintballer1708]

Interesting maps on the growth rates of the states.

http://www.census.gov/popest/gallery/maps/numchg_2005_2006.html

[passdoubt]

Isn't that how the Sun Belt grows?
To an extent. But because they have less municipal fragmentation and more liberal annexation laws, suburban growth in the Sunbelt is less likely to put additional tax burderns on inner city residents, as it does in the Northeast.

[GeorgeLV]

The Census numbers are B.S. How can Nevada add only 83,228 when a count of active residential power meters shows Clark County (Las Vegas) alone added 97,000 over the same time period?

http://cber.unlv.edu/meterpop.pdf

[bobdreamz]

God, Florida, slow down! Go back to Ohio!

let me mimick JamesBond007 stance regarding Seattle.....go away!
Florida is a terrible state to move too!

we have cockroaches & mosquitos bigger than airplanes...
we have hurricanes every year
we have alligators that will eat your dogs & children
Miami is third world!
Orlando had a 328% increase in violent crime
we killed Terry Schiavo
global warming will put us under water
we can't hold elections

:notacrook:

[shanthemanatl]

The Census numbers are B.S. How can Nevada add only 83,228 when a count of active residential power meters shows Clark County (Las Vegas) alone added 97,000 over the same time period?

http://cber.unlv.edu/meterpop.pdf

How many previously-active residential power meters were inactivated during that same time period in Nevada?

That might account for some of the difference.

[totheskies]

New York City still has more people than 39 states........

yeah but we can't say too much for quality up there ;)

[seaskyfan]

The Census numbers are B.S. How can Nevada add only 83,228 when a count of active residential power meters shows Clark County (Las Vegas) alone added 97,000 over the same time period?

http://cber.unlv.edu/meterpop.pdf

I wonder if this could be explained by the second home market in Vegas?

[kardon]

Great maybe Texas can give us another Tom Delay!!! :rolleyes:

Let's NOT...but say we did....

[bresilhac]

New York City still has more people than 39 states........

But not more than Texas. By a long shot. New York is hemorrhaging people. Texas is growing by leaps and bounds. Austin and San Antonio are two of the fastest growing cities in the country and Dallas and Houston aren't much far behind. New York has snowy, cold winters though and I miss that about the North. I used to live in Virginia prior to moving to San Antonio and the summer's are murder down here.

[LouisianaRush]

But not more than Texas. By a long shot. New York is hemorrhaging people. Texas is growing by leaps and bounds. Austin and San Antonio are two of the fastest growing cities in the country and Dallas and Houston aren't much far behind. New York has snowy, cold winters though and I miss that about the North. I used to live in Virginia prior to moving to San Antonio and the summer's are murder down here.


Yes...Texas is growing fast, but it is extremely polluted! The air quality in Houston and Dallas is deplorable. As the state gets more polluted it will become less desirable. The state will also eventually have to raise taxes to repair its mega freeway system and crumbling school system. (ranked 50th in the dropout rate)

[cwilson758]

Indiana representin'. You would think that there were 12 people in this state with the way people consider us Hoosiers. I get irritated that we are a top-15 state and we constantly get over-looked by everyone.

[b-s]

But not more than Texas. By a long shot. New York is hemorrhaging people. Texas is growing by leaps and bounds. Austin and San Antonio are two of the fastest growing cities in the country and Dallas and Houston aren't much far behind. New York has snowy, cold winters though and I miss that about the North. I used to live in Virginia prior to moving to San Antonio and the summer's are murder down here.

Anyplace with alot of desolate land is growing. It's nothing special to be proud of. It's not admirable. It's not due to cultural or economic superiority. It's due to decades of bad economics and a lack of culture -- that's what has kept the real estate prices so low in those places. Modern technology is doing a great job of pumping water and moving vast amounts of resources to what was previously uninhabitable environments for large amounts of people. There will always be large amounts of people looking for the cheapest, most boring way to live. Isn't that how Wal-Mart makes their money?

A trailer park out in the middle of Nevada has a 100% growth rate. So? Would you want to live there? (Oh, damn, nevermind. Bad example.)

[NDtexan]

Anyplace with alot of desolate land is growing. It's nothing special to be proud of. It's not admirable. It's not due to cultural or economic superiority. It's due to decades of bad economics and a lack of culture -- that's what has kept the real estate prices so low in those places. Modern technology is doing a great job of pumping water and moving vast amounts of resources to what was previously uninhabitable environments for large amounts of people. There will always be large amounts of people looking for the cheapest, most boring way to live. Isn't that how Wal-Mart makes their money?

A trailer park out in the middle of Nevada has a 100% growth rate. So? Would you want to live there? (Oh, damn, nevermind. Bad example.)

dude, your name describes your post.

[Atlriser]

Agreed....b-s exactly that....

Regarding Alabama's growth is has several metro areas that are growing nicely and spreading their wings so to speak. The Huntsville area in north AL has good quality growth and high paying jobs in a variety of modern industries. Tuscaloosa is the same with car manufacturing and the University. Birmingham/Hoover is a steadily growing and improving larger southern metro also that's beginning to hit its growth stride like Atlanta did in the 1960's. Anniston to the east toward Atlanta is also a hot bed for Honda and the growth from metro Atlanta is spilling out 20 into eastern Alabama as Atlanta grows astoundingly fast downtown and metro wide. Mobile on the coast is experiencing the explosion seen in many southern coastal areas. AL is situated to finely begin showing strong growth like many of its southern peers have for decades not only because of being surrounded by booming areas in GA and TN but because it's a last frontier like MS is becoming and has many of the same pluses that people saw in GA, NC and TN the past 40 years.

Also the I-85 corridor from Charlotte - Greeneville/Spartanburg - Atlanta - Montgomery AL has become a huge economic growth hot bed and will rival the Boston - NY - Philly - Baltimore/DC corridor in the not to distant future for those unfamiliar with the south.

The Charlotte to Atlanta corridor has already become a huge hotbed for financial services and capital, car manufacturing, computer tech & research, nanotechnology firms and medical sciences/cancer research and biotechnology along with many other high tech industries. Atlanta to Montgomery is experiencing the growth the Charlotte to Atlanta did 20 years ago in distribution and car manufacturing firms building crazily along the corridor and all the supporting techs moving to the area. Also, Columbus GA/Phoenix City AL has become a huge military growth hot spot with consolidation of many parts of the Army to Ft. Stewart resulting in a boom in this part of GA/AL. I believe the military is adding over 30,000 personnel alone to the base over the next few years with a focus on high end tech positions resulting from this movement and relocation of forces across the country to this area.

[Evergrey]

Also the I-85 corridor from Charlotte - Greeneville/Spartanburg - Atlanta - Montgomery AL has become a huge economic growth hot bed and will rival the Boston - NY - Philly - Baltimore/DC corridor in the not to distant future for those unfamiliar with the south.

I thought it already did. :shrug:

[Trae]

I have a hard time believing it will. The northeast corridor has Washington D.C., followed by Baltimore, Philly, New York City (we all know how big that is), and Boston. The I-85 will have Atlanta has its main city, which is more like a Baltimore or Philly. It will not come close in GDP or importance.

[Trae]

Yes...Texas is growing fast, but it is extremely polluted! The air quality in Houston and Dallas is deplorable. As the state gets more polluted it will become less desirable. The state will also eventually have to raise taxes to repair its mega freeway system and crumbling school system. (ranked 50th in the dropout rate)

I thought that was Louisiana. Do you have a link?

[LouisianaRush]

When I was teaching in Texas the drop out rate was one of our highest priorities. Here is a link from Business Week discussing the massive problem. It is even highlighted because No Child Left Behind was based on the Texas Educational system.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_47/b3960108.htm

[on the beach]

Kids that came to Texas were behind from Louisiana, then dropped out.

[on the beach]

http://www.morganquitno.com/edrank.htm

http://www.sedl.org/pubs/pic01/priority.html

http://www.coxwashington.com/hp/content/reporters/stories/2007/01/05/BC_STATES_SUCCESS04_COX.html

The last link says it all...........Texas is in the bottom, however Louisiana is last in education. Texas has alot of spanish speaking only, that are having a difficult time learning english. Not sure why LA is so far down.

[LouisianaRush]

Louisiana is at the bottom as well. Money spent per pupil is very low in LA and the state also has a high poverty rate. Children in poverty are less likely to graduate. The entire deep south TX, LA, MS, AR, AL, and even FL has some serious issues to address when it comes to public education. The south is just not on par with the rest of the nation when it comes to this MAJOR issue.

[TexasBoi]

Louisiana is at the bottom as well. Money spent per pupil is very low in LA and the state also has a high poverty rate. Children in poverty are less likely to graduate. The entire deep south TX, LA, MS, AR, AL, and even FL has some serious issues to address when it comes to public education. The south is just not on par with the rest of the nation when it comes to this MAJOR issue.


You use to be a teacher in Texas. How do you feel about the TASP or TAAS (I know they got rid of that idiotic test). Should they get rid of standardized tests to begin with. Seems like high school teachers aren't teaching the kids algebra or geometry. They're too busy teaching them TASP and then they wonder why Texas is always near the bottom. I, nor anybody else that I know, likes those tests. I know Florida has something similar called the FCAT.

[LouisianaRush]

I taught one year under TAAS and the rest under TAKS. It is a joke. Most teachers just taught the test. The FCAT is Florida is a joke as well, although it is not as stressed as much here as it is in Texas. It is a touchy subject. There needs to be some form of accountably, but should it be in the form of a multiple-choice test?

[LMich]

Standardized testing is an issue in many states, including my own, which recently reworked their standardized test.

[Trae]

I taught one year under TAAS and the rest under TAKS. It is a joke. Most teachers just taught the test. The FCAT is Florida is a joke as well, although it is not as stressed as much here as it is in Texas. It is a touchy subject. There needs to be some form of accountably, but should it be in the form of a multiple-choice test?
That is true. Every class you are reminded that it will be on the TAKS test. It gets annoying really.

[TexasBoi]

Do other states have standardized tests? I remember in high school, we was taught what will be on the TAAS in algebra class. They didn't teach algebra, they taught TAAS. Most kids in Texas do not know how to even do algebra 2 by their junior year or even senior year. We had a kid from Maryland that said they was taught matrices as freshman and how far we were behind than the kids on the east coast. That was very sad to hear.

[LouisianaRush]

Yes every state has them. Some states put higher emphasis on them than others.