Posted on 01/02/2013 7:55:26 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Demographics buffs get a special Christmas present every year courtesy of the Census Bureau: its annual estimates of the populations of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
This gives demographers a chance to see where the nation is growing and where it is not, and to get an idea of the destination of immigrants and of the flow of people into one set of states and out of another.
Nationally the Census Bureau estimates that the United States has grown from 308 million people when the census was conducted in April 2010 and to almost 313 million in July 2012, for a rate of about 1.7 percent. If that continues through the decade, the nation's population will rise at a lower rate but by a larger number in this decade than it did in 2000 to 2010.
The fastest growth in the last two years has been in two small enclaves -- the District of Columbia (5.1 percent), thanks to the federal government and gentrification, and North Dakota (4.0 percent), thanks to the Bakken shale oil boom.
Neither is up to 700,000 people yet, though North Dakota, after nearly a century in the 600,000s, is almost there.
The next-fastest growth rate is in the giant state of Texas. Its population rose 3.6 percent to 26 million. This single state accounts for 18 percent of total U.S. population growth.
Two other states, Utah and Colorado, grew more than 3 percent, thanks to high birth rates and newcomers eager to live near ski areas. And Florida, where growth stagnated after the housing bust, grew at 2.7 percent.
The two biggest growth states of the last two decades, Nevada and Arizona, are growing again, but at a pace behind Washington state and at about the same rate of the South Atlantic states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
The two states that lost population in the last two years are economically beleaguered Rhode Island and Michigan. But Michigan seems to be rebounding, growing enough in the last year that its 2010-12 estimated population loss was only 275 people.
Immigration is sharply down from the levels of 1982 to 2007. International migration, as the Census Bureau calls it, was only 0.6 percent of 2010 population in the last two years. It topped the 1 percent level only in New Jersey, New York and Florida.
To judge from the statewide figures, immigrants have stopped heading in large numbers to the heartland and have mostly been going to a few metro areas -- New York, Boston, Washington, Miami and Orlando.
Immigration is only slightly above the national average now in California and Nevada and below it in Arizona, with its immigration enforcement laws. Net Mexican immigration has halted. California is likely getting more Asians than Hispanics.
Movement within the country has been at low levels; people tend to stay put when economic times are bad, as they did in the 1930s.
But New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Illinois did see an outflow of more than 1 percent of their 2010 populations. People evidently aren't enamored of their high (and in Connecticut and Illinois, increased) tax rates.
And there was significant outflow from the auto states of Michigan and Ohio as well. But outflow from California was much lower than in the past and amounted to less than half of the immigrants who moved in.
The biggest domestic inflow in percentage terms, though the numbers aren't huge, was to booming North Dakota and D.C., 2.6 and 2.4 percent of their 2010 populations. That's big in just two years.
After that the biggest inflow in percentage terms were in the second-largest and soon-to-be third largest states, Texas and Florida, and in Colorado. Tampa, Orlando, Houston, Austin, Dallas and Denver are drawing people in.
Nationally, natural increase, the excess of births (8.9 million) over deaths (5.6 million), was almost double the number of immigrants (1.8 million).
The highest rates of natural increase were in majority-Mormon Utah and then, well behind, in California and Texas, both 38 percent Hispanic in 2010. Babies seem to come disproportionately to opposite ends of the political spectrum.
The big stories: the Bakken shale, big government, the Texas boom and the continued slide down Interstate 95 from the Northeast to the South Atlantic from Washington, D.C., to Florida.
I don’t think this is good news for Texas at all.
ALL YOU UGLY PEOPLE STAY HOME! LOL!
Actually, most of the people coming here are either Mexican illegals, or people from California with their liberal ideas .......either of which I deem as good.
Whoops!
Make that NEITHER of which I deem as good.
Figured you meant that. Wish Texas could set up an entry site and turn away anyone who voted Obama or test to see if they are low information voter.
I’d vote for that!
Yep. Lib Californians need to just keep movin’ on. I understand Arkansas is looking for more takers.
The construction rate in DC is amazing. Cranes everywhere, people moving into that city at the rate of 1,000 a month or more. But still the citizens who pay 100% of federal taxes have 0% votes in Congress, and with 630,000 residents a bigger population than Wyoming and Vermont.
No wonder our traffic is so bad.
The construction rate in DC is amazing. Cranes everywhere, people moving into that city at the rate of 1,000 a month or more. But still the citizens who pay 100% of federal taxes have 0% votes in Congress, and with 630,000 residents a bigger population than Wyoming and Vermont.
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Whaaat? DC residents pay 100% of Federal taxes?
DC is not a State and many of the workers there have their primary residences in adjacent or other States, where they DO have representation in the Senate and House. Many actual DC residents are drawing welfare and food stamps and don’t pay any Federal income tax, according to other threads I’ve read on FR.
If a Canary Islands induced mega tsunami wiped out D.C. it would be a great blessing for our former Republic. It is a tick on the neck of this nation and of late is going for the jugular.
Meanwhile, illegal immigration seems to be dropping off some at this Arizona location close to the border. Compare 2012 with previous years.
http://www.beattysguestranch.com/Recent_Illegal_events_affecting_our_Guest_Ranch.htm
Much of what you say is true. People come into DC from MD and VA, get paid, use the DC roads and police services, then go home and DC is not allowed to charge any commuter taxes as apparently other jurisdictions are able to do. However, many people also live in DC, pay 100% IRS taxes in DC, and have NO vote in Congress. Just as is the case in States where residents DO have votes in Congress and people drawing food stamps, welfare, Social Security, we have poor people who pay no taxes.
Should there be a national law that anyone who does not pay taxes cannot vote?? Senior citizens would love that!! NOT!! Also, the percentage of people who do not pay taxes in several states is probably as great as it is in DC, but nobody is talking about taking away their votes, and I think several of them are tea party states.
Be careful what you wish for. IF a mega tsunami occurred, it would do flood damage in DC, but would wipe out large areas of Florida, coastal Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and points north. Also probably major damage to parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.
One of the things that was pointed out by angry Republican Congresspeople from NJ and NY is that those states pay more to the federal government than they get back, whereas a number of the states I mentioned get back more than they pay in. I think that DC taxpayers may pay more than thy get back too, but will have to verify.
A tsunami with the right trajectory and enough energy could erase coastal cities like LA.
DC denizens do not have representation in Congress for a very good reason. Their representatives would only serve to increase their welfare payments.
DC residents pay exactly the same taxes as anyone anywhere else in the country with the same income level. They use the 1040 form, Schedules A, B, C, D, E, and F the same as everyone else. However, they have no vote at all in how or for what their tax money is spent. On the other hand Puerto Rico which has the same non voting status pays NO FEDERAL INCOME TAX. Is this fair? Residents of DC should only have to pay a 40% tax since they do have a vote for President and VP, but no vote for Representative or two Senators. That would be fair.
I forgot to mention that DC has over 450,000 registered voters. While some people do keep their home of origin voting rights, the bulk of the longer term residents vote in DC. Actually, the proportion of taxes paid to the IRS compared to money paid for welfare and food stamps is probably much higher than in a number of states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, etc.
I forgot to mention that DC has over 450,000 registered voters. While some people do keep their home of origin voting rights, the bulk of the longer term residents vote in DC. Actually, the proportion of taxes paid to the IRS compared to money paid for welfare and food stamps is probably much higher than in a number of states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, etc.
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