Friday, December 22, 2006

When Fastest-Growing Really Means Fastest-Sinking

WASHINGTON — Arizona has ended Nevada's 19-year reign as the nation's fastest-growing state, fueled by immigrants and Americans moving from other states.

At the other end of the scale, Louisiana lost nearly 220,000 people — more than any other state — in the year following Hurricane Katrina, according to population estimates released Friday by the Census Bureau.

Arizona led the nation with a population growth rate of 3.6 percent in the past year, followed by Nevada, Idaho, Georgia and Texas.

"There are housing developments sprouting everywhere, whether they are on former farmland or in the desert," said Tom Rex, associate director of the Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research at Arizona State University.

The pace of development has strained Arizona's resources and preoccupied local officials, Rex said.

Among the findings for 2006:

—Texas gained the most people, about 580,000, followed by Florida, California, Georgia and Arizona.

—North Carolina broke into the top 10 in total population, nudging New Jersey to 11th.

—Four states and the District of Columbia lost population: Louisiana, New York, Rhode Island and Michigan.

Many other states lost people who relocated elsewhere in the country, increasing their populations only through births and immigration.

The South had a net gain of a half million people relocating there from other parts of the U.S., while the Northeast had a net loss of 375,000 people and the Midwest lost 184,000, according to the census estimates.

The West added 53,000 people from other parts of the U.S., even though California lost nearly 300,000 people to other states.

Texas passed Florida as the top destination, in part from people fleeing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina..."

Indeed. Compare the above post-Katrina census to last years below, and remember that what the yellowstream media are referring to as "people", in fact means criminals looking to start fresh where the pickings are more bountiful. Idaho and Georgia remain relatively safe with regards to illegal immigrants or displaced crooks overwhelming the area's resources, but our once proud Western states are in deep trouble. The problem with Florida is that affluent senior citizens continue to arrive in droves, and while the health care industry will continue to boom beyond belief, the cost of living is inching ever upwards.

Population: State by state rankings
The U.S Census Bureau's annual ranking. Click on state name for cities in the Best Places to Live database and get more statistics.
State Population Change % Change
Alabama 4,557,808 32,433 0.7%
Alaska 663,661 5,906 0.9%
Arizona 5,939,292 199,413 3.5%
Arkansas 2,779,154 29,154 1.1%
California 36,132,147 290,109 0.8%
Colorado 4,665,177 63,356 1.4%
Connecticut 3,510,297 11,331 0.3%
Delaware 843,524 13,455 1.6%
District of Columbia 550,521 -3,718 -0.7%
Florida 17,789,864 404,434 2.3%
Georgia 9,072,576 154,447 1.7%
Hawaii 1,275,194 13,070 1.0%
Idaho 1,429,096 33,956 2.4%
Illinois 12,763,371 51,355 0.4%
Indiana 6,271,973 45,436 0.7%
Iowa 2,966,334 13,430 0.5%
Kansas 2,744,687 10,990 0.4%
Kentucky 4,173,405 31,570 0.8%
Louisiana 4,523,628 16,943 0.4%
Maine 1,321,505 6,520 0.5%
Maryland 5,600,388 39,056 0.7%
Massachusetts 6,398,743 -8,639 -0.1%
Michigan 10,120,860 16,654 0.2%
Minnesota 5,132,799 36,253 0.7%
Mississippi 2,921,088 20,320 0.7%
Missouri 5,800,310 40,778 0.7%
Montana 935,670 8,750 0.9%
Nebraska 1,758,787 11,083 0.6%
Nevada 2,414,807 81,909 3.5%
New Hampshire 1,309,940 10,771 0.8%
New Jersey 8,717,925 32,759 0.4%
New Mexico 1,928,384 25,378 1.3%
New York 19,254,630 -26,097 -0.1%
North Carolina 8,683,242 142,774 1.7%
North Dakota 636,677 369 0.1%
Ohio 11,464,042 13,899 0.1%
Oklahoma 3,547,884 24,338 0.7%
Oregon 3,641,056 49,693 1.4%
Pennsylvania 12,429,616 35,145 0.3%
Rhode Island 1,076,189 -3,727 -0.3%
South Carolina 4,255,083 57,191 1.4%
South Dakota 775,933 5,312 0.7%
Tennessee 5,962,959 69,661 1.2%
Texas 22,859,968 388,419 1.7%
Utah 2,469,585 48,877 2.0%
Vermont 623,050 1,817 0.3%
Virginia 7,567,465 86,133 1.2%
Washington 6,287,759 80,713 1.3%
West Virginia 1,816,856 4,308 0.2%
Wisconsin 5,536,201 32,668 0.6%
Wyoming 509,294 3,407 0.7%

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