The eight fastest-growing states are all "red states"

WSJ - Best of the Web ^ | April 25, 2005 | JAMES TARANTO

[soccer_linux_mozilla]

The U.S. Census Bureau has released new population projections for the next quarter-century, and the political implications are interesting, though not surprising. Based on the first table here (in Microsoft Excel form; USA Today has part of it in HTML), these are the 10 states that are expected to be the biggest in 2030 and the fastest-growing in the 2000-30 period, with the 2000 population rank given in parentheses:

	Biggest	Fastest Growing
1	California (1)		Nevada
2	Texas (2)	Arizona
3	Florida (4)	Florida
4	New York (3)		Texas
5	Illinois (5)	Utah
6	Pennsylvania (6)	Idaho
7	North Carolina (11)		North Carolina
8	Georgia (10)	Georgia
9	Ohio (7)	Washington
10	Arizona (20)		Oregon

The eight fastest-growing states are all "red," as are the two states, North Carolina and Arizona, that are expected to move up into the top 10 (supplanting Michigan and New Jersey).

[Lekker 1]

It has been my experience that it is typically the Reds from Blue States that relocate to the Mountain West. They just get fed up with the bullcrap, taxes, etc. The Blues typically feel so superior about their Blue State, they would never consider moving to the "sticks" (Gotta have a coastline. If I don't have a beach, I would simply die). I suppose the overall affect is a polarization.

[R. Scott]

It reminds me of the old hippie thing of “change from within”. I hope that’s not the case.

[Uncledave]

But who is going to these red states? Reds from blue states or Blues from blue states?

I've lived in NY and New England all my life. My hunch is that red staters are the ones heading south. The liberals up here love the local restaurants, schools, local culture scene, and most importantly - their liberal neighbors.

From my experience, they feel living among the bible thumpers is a sentence worse than death.

[jpl]

''It's not our electoral college base that's been the source of political clout in New England," said Garrison Nelson, a University of Vermont professor who also has taught classes on New England politics at Boston College. ''Massachusetts has been losing seats for a while, since 1930, yet three presidential nominees have come out of Massachusetts in the last 50 years."

ROFL. Losers like Mike Dukakis and John Kerry are pretty thin reeds to be hanging your "clout" on, and there's now two generations of Americans who weren't even alive when JFK got elected.

[Edward Watson]

I also noticed Utah will have the lowest percentage of people over 65 and the highest number below 18 which means Utahns will be able to support their retired for a long ways to come.

[TypeZoNegative]

Wanna jettison the state for warmer weather? (Fla)

The plane leaves in 10 days.

[TypeZoNegative]

Wanna jettison the state for warmer weather? (Fla)

The plane leaves in 10 days.

[Modernman]

They can keep "expecting" all they want, the coastal states might grow but illegals can't vote now and the laws against them voting are getting tougher, not easier.

The census counts people. I don't think it makes a distinction between legals and illegals. But, I have been wrong before....

[bilhosty]

"However, I am aware that Californians are flooding into Idaho, and that many of them are bringing their obnoxious liberal habits with them. True?"

According to Barone it is the Republicans that are making the biggest Exodus from California and as a result California is getting bluer while the mountain states are getting redder. Incidentally, I do not believe that California will keep growing. I think it is no longer growing and after gaining 5 seats in 1990 it only gained 1 in 2000. Last decade it grew slower then most of the Mountain states. I also expect something will be done about illegal immigration. I think next time California will lose a seat.

[Columbine]

Be careful how you interpret these numbers since many fast growing states (red) are growing from a exodus from other (blue) states -- especially due to relocation of businesses and getting away from liberal confiscatory taxation and regulation.

Exactly! Colorado is becoming bluer and bluer with each passing election. Even our most conservative county is changing from the influx of liberals who want to bring their idiotic policies with them.

[laredo44]

Arizona, Florida, Texas, #'s 2, 3, and 4 respecitvely is the fastest growing list. All without an income tax.

[colorcountry]

Shhhhh...don't tell. And we spend less on education, but produce more high school graduates. I can't imagine many "Blue Staters" will show up - they would never become acclimated to the culture around here (or lack of, in their eyes).

[Rakkasan1]

nah, too many hanging chads and left-lane, constant blinker
,blue-hair drivers.

[lilylangtree]

Since WA is the bastard sibling of CA, I guess both states count as one.

[jbloedow]

The fastest-growing New England state is New Hampshire, at No. 15, followed by Vermont (23), Maine (32), Massachusetts (33), Rhode Island (34) and Connecticut (38).

Connecticut is rated by NARAL as the #1 state for access to abortion. Go figure.

[Laserman]

The key is to NOT let these transplants from Blue states come in and screw up the sane policies of Red states like is happening in Colorado. Red State Conservatives need to be even more diligent to avoid another Ken Salazar like loss to the Dems!

[Southack]

"Be careful how you interpret these numbers since many fast growing states (red) are growing from a exodus from other (blue) states..."

You don't have to be too careful about that. 45 out of 50 states voting percentages grew more conservative ("redder" by the new backwards standard of today), voting by up to 8% more for Bush/Cheney in 2004 compared to the Rep vs Dem race of 2000.

So not only did red states get redder, but blue states got redder, too.

If a new census were held today, Red States would gain 3 House seats and electoral votes, while Blue States would lose 3. That power shift of 6 seats/votes will be even larger by 2010, too.

The above is the *national* trend. Some *state* trends might be slightly different...just don't confuse such isolated local differences with the Bigger Picture.

[DM1]

I left a TRUE BLUE state (Mass) to live in what i thought would be a Red state (NH) close but switched to BLue.
Hey i tried to keep it Red :)