Posted on 12/20/2017 9:48:25 AM PST by Steven Scharf
Idaho is Nation’s Fastest-Growing State, Census Bureau Reports December 20, 2017 Release Number: CB17-210
Idaho in Nation's Fastest-Growing State DEC. 20, 2017 — Idaho was the nation’s fastest-growing state over the last year. Its population increased 2.2 percent to 1.7 million from July 1, 2016, to July 1, 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s national and state population estimates released today.
Following Idaho for the largest percentage increases in population were: Nevada (2.0 percent), Utah (1.9 percent), Washington (1.7 percent), and Florida along with Arizona (1.6 percent).
“Domestic migration drove change in the two fastest-growing states, Idaho and Nevada, while an excess of births over deaths played a major part in the growth of the third fastest-growing state, Utah,” said Luke Rogers, Chief of the Population Estimates Branch.
The U.S. population grew by 2.3 million between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017, representing a 0.72 percent increase to 325.7 million. Furthermore, the population of voting-age residents (adults age 18 and over) grew to 252.1 million (77.4 percent of the 2017 total population), an increase of 0.93 percent from 2016 (249.5 million). Net international migration decreased 1.8 percent between 2016 and 2017, making it the first drop since 2012-2013. However, net international migration continues to be a significant factor in the population growth of the United States, adding just over 1.1 million people in the last year.
Eight states lost population between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017. Illinois had the largest numeric decline, losing 33,703 people (this was a relatively small percentage change compared to its population of 12.8 million). Wyoming had the largest percentage decline (1.0 percent). Three states that had been losing population in the previous year, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Vermont, saw slight increases.
States in the South and West continued to lead in population growth. In 2017, 38.0 percent of the nation’s population lived in the South and 23.8 percent lived in the West.
In addition to the population estimates for the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the new estimates show that Puerto Rico had an estimated population of 3.3 million, a decline from 3.4 million in 2016.
The estimates for Puerto Rico are as of July 1, 2017, and therefore do not reflect the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. The estimates for Gulf states affected by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 and Hurricane Irma in September 2017 are also not reflected in the July 1, 2017, estimates.
Also released today were national-and state-level estimates of the components of population change, which include tables on births, deaths and migration. This is geek level information that paints a picture of the trends of American population.
The state level population estimates for 2017 (as of July 1) were released today. The press release from the census bureau talks about the year to year changes, but looking at the seven year trends is valuable. The press release noted, “Eight states lost population between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017. Illinois had the largest numeric decline, losing 33,703 people”. Illinois is one of three states that lost population over the last seven years. The other two are West Virginia and Vermont. Illinois lost more people last year than they did the first seven years.
14 states had a net migration loss 2016 to 2017. All of them had international gains and domestic losses. Illinois and New York led that pack with Illinois 33,669 international migrants* not making up for the 114,779 domestic lost and New York’s 130,411 international migrants* did not make up for their 190,508 domestic movers.
Those who want to dive deep into the data can go here: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/popest/state-total.html
Being from Maine, I like to look at the Maine data. Was surprised to see Maine had an increase of 5,675 people for 2016 to 2017. Maine’s natural increase (births/deaths) was a negative 1,235 (this trend has been ongoing for the last 25 years and went negative about six years ago and has continued with the exception of one year) with migration being the significant factor in the growth: 1,578 international* and 5,376 domestic.
* As per the footnote on the census spreadsheets: Net international migration for the United States includes the international migration of both native and foreign-born populations. Specifically, it includes: (a) the net international migration of the foreign born, (b) the net migration between the United States and Puerto Rico, (c) the net migration of natives to and from the United States, and (d) the net movement of the Armed Forces population between the United States and overseas.
Give it three winters...
An old timer up there told me the same thing, that those from warm weather states generally, don’t last through too many winter. Me personally, I hate the freaking cold.
Doesn’t Illinois’ population decline of 34,000 about equal it’s murder and death rate? The number of people lucky enough to escape that place may be misleading.
“...while an excess of births over deaths played a major part in the growth of the third fastest-growing state, Utah...”
Well, is there much else to do in Utah? Not that I’d be complaining.
Kind of odd that our government transplants Somalians to Idaho, Minnesota and Maine.
AZ passes 7 million!
My unscientific impression is that people from around the country are still drawn to California to a certain extent, but that a good number of long-time residents of CA flee to other western states. Over many years I have met and heard about many refugees from California who end up in the Rocky Mtn. states. That probably accounts for some of the growth in Idaho and Utah, etc.
Unfortunately, that phenomenon seems to be what has wrecked the politics of Colorado and New Mexico, because even people who flee CA may be relatively liberal. They get sick of what liberalism has done to CA but still they import some of its values with them wherever they go. It’s like the refugees from Massachusetts who turned New Hampshire from a conservative state to a “purple” state at best.
Shhh... Idaho isn’t really a state. It’s a conspiracy theory. I wouldn’t waste time looking to move here, er, there.
I’ve had several family members move to Idaho to avoid the nannies and taxes in California.
It will not take too many Somalians to turn Idaho into another Democrat stronghold. That is the plan.
Big warning to Texas.
Be sure you know where you’re new residents are coming from.
When our population exploded, it came from South of the border.
There’s a town called Salmon. Can’t be bad.
Our... California
Liberal locusts.
Gotta cut my FR time short so I can dig out after the last big dump. Right about two feet of wet stuff in my front yard and it looks like I've lost a couple of trees. Power's back, at least. Some heroic linemen fixed a four-hour outage just after midnight last night. House is still inaccessible from the road with a Christmas freeze 24 hours away (temps in the single digits for a week or so, oh joy). Thank God for the wood stove...
I think the idea that California out migrants ruin neighboring states is over played. Many of these migrants are conservative and want out for that reason.
Don’t count out Colorado, yet. Colorado is more like Iowa, it can change party back and forth. Eventually Colorado voters will get religion on what their taxes are buying.
No one wants to live in Wyoming which is not that different typography and climate compared to Colorado or Utah. At least it has reliable representation.
Ping!
Merry Christmas!
I moved up above Moyie Springs Idaho from the central Valley (stockton) Ca 6 years ago. It snowed 18 inches here in about 24 hours last night...Im counting on the snow to cull the Liberal pack that wants to relocate.
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