EMBARGOED UNTIL: 10 A.M. EST, DECEMBER 30, 1996 (MONDAY) Public Information Office CB96-224 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Gregory Harper 301-457-2385 POPULATION GROWTH REMAINS FASTEST IN WESTERN AND SOUTHERN STATES, CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS States with the fastest population growth rates continued to be concentrated in the West and South, according to 1996 population estimates released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. Nevada was again the nation's fastest growing state, increasing by 4.5 percent or 70,000 people between July 1995 and July 1996. Other top growth states were Arizona (2.9 percent), Utah (2.2 percent), and Colorado, Georgia, and Idaho, all of which grew by 2.0 percent. Overall, population growth in the West was 1.4 percent. California's population grew faster than the nation's for the first time since 1991-92. The state had the greatest net domestic outmigration (259,000) of any state (more persons moved out of the state than moved in from other states). However, this loss was more than offset by having the nation's largest population gains from international migration (246,000) and natural population change (births minus deaths), at 328,000. The South's growth rate of 1.2 percent ranked it second to the West. The South was the only region to show population growth from net domestic inmigration (382,000). In addition to Georgia, the South included two other states among the 10 fastest growing: Texas and North Carolina each had a growth rate of 1.7 percent. The District of Columbia lost population but at a slower rate than in 1994-95 (-2.0 percent versus -2.4 percent). Growth in the Midwest was at 0.6 percent for the third year in a row. Minnesota remained the fastest growing state in the region at 0.9 percent, an increase of more than 43,000 people. The Northeast as a whole grew at a rate of 0.1 percent. New Hampshire was the fastest growing (1.2 percent) state outside the West and South, ranking fourteenth. With a growth rate of 0.7, Vermont was the second-fastest growing state of the Northeast and ranked thirtieth overall. Three of the region's states lost population--Rhode Island decreased by 0.1 percent, while both New York and Pennsylvania had slight decreases of less than 0.1 percent. The nation's population is estimated to have increased from 262.9 million on July 1, 1995 to 265.3 million on July 1, 1996, a growth rate of 0.9 percent. Both natural change (1,549,000) and net international migration (856,000) contributed to the growth. State population estimates and demographic components of change data are available on the Internet at: http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/statepop.html-X-The Census Bureau--preeminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In over 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries, and institutions.
