Posted on 03/22/2007 9:12:27 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
The galloping growth of Washington's outer Virginia suburbs is slowing at last, according to Census Bureau estimates to be released today, with high housing costs beginning to dull the appeal of counties that have long been a magnet for newcomers.
Loudoun, the nation's second-fastest-growing county in 2005, dropped to fourth place largely because only 7,506 people moved in during 2006, compared with 12,002 the previous year.
Fairfax's growth rate also declined, but for a different reason: Ever more residents are moving out of the county.
The shift brings Northern Virginia in line with the District and Maryland, where Montgomery County's growth rate continued to slow and growth in two other counties -- Anne Arundel and Prince George's -- stagnated in 2006.
"There's still growth in the Washington region, and there's still migration from the inside of the doughnut to the periphery. But it's kind of slacking," said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. "From being a very fast-growing exurban place, Washington has now come down to more normal levels."
Robert E. Lang, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, said the findings fit a pattern of booming development in the South and West and relative stagnation in the Northeast.
The nation's fastest- and third-fastest-growing counties in 2006 -- Flagler County, Fla., and Rockwall County, Tex. -- are in the South.
Second place went to a Northern locale, Kendall County, Ill. And for a while, Lang said, Northern Virginia also appeared to be an exception to the national rule.
"It seemed like the northernmost reach of the Sunbelt," he said. "But now it's looking like the southernmost point of the Northeast."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Northern-most point of the sunbelt? Bull puckey. It's the central-point for big government belt. A real sign of progress in the U.S. would be the loss of 75% of the population in greater Washington DC due to people leaving to find real jobs to replace their lost government jobs.
Interesting - the population of Fairfax County, VA, is larger than that of detroit.
Wonder how they compare on transfer payments?
92 of the 100 fastest growing counties happen to be in the red states.
But that corner of Northern Virginia is anything but red...
That's why Virginia is no longer a reliably Republican state.
percent of families below poverty line
Detroit 22%
Fairfax County 3%
Kind of says it all, doesn't it?
Times are changin'. I remember when Loudoun was the country and just going to Northern VA was like going to a foreign country to this DC/Montgomery county girl.
A few years ago, someone visitng me in Silver Spring from the midwest remarked on the "impressive" traffic. I was just there this weekend and things haven't changed much. Glad I escaped.
Jerks! I wanted to retire to Virginia. Now they are ruining the entire state. If enough conservatives flee to West Virginia, maybe I can take up residence there...
It's conservative, only that the 'Rats are good at bringing home the pork.
That says it for me. Bump for that.
Read page 3 of the latest report.
You will see that the Federal Government is only FOUR PERCENT of Virginia's non-farm employment.
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