America's Fastest-Growing States

[Æmeric]

What a difference a year makes.

As of July 1, 2007, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the country. With a population of over 2.5 million, the Silver State flourished because of continued real estate development in its marquee city, Las Vegas. But all that came to a screeching halt in 2008

The credit crisis forced the country into a recession, and overdeveloped cities like Las Vegas--where the majority of Nevada's population lives--were hit the hardest.

For nearly 20 years, construction projects like Boyd Gaming Company's Echelon Place--a collection of new hotels, casinos and restaurants that broke ground in 2007--continuously attracted new workers, meaning steady growth for the state's population. But now the Echelon development is running a year behind schedule--just one example of the lost jobs and opportunities facing the area today.

While still seeing an increase larger than 42 of its counterparts, Nevada dropped from No. 1 to No. 8 on a ranking of America's fastest growing states, with 1.79% year-over-year increase from 2007 to 2008. Today, an estimated 2.6 million people reside in Nevada.

It's the similar story in other states, but not to quite the same extent.

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The 10 fastest growing states:

1. Utah
2008 Population: 2,736,424

2007 Population: 2,668,925

Year-over-year Increase: 2.53%



2. Arizona
2008 Population: 6,500,180

2007 Population: 6,353,421

Year-over-year Increase: 2.31%



3. Texas
2008 Population: 24,326,974

2007 Population: 23,843,432

Year-over-year Increase: 2.03%



4. North Carolina
2008 Population: 9,222,414

2007 Population: 9,041,594

Year-over-year Increase: 2%



5. Colorado
2008 Population: 4,939,456

2007 Population: 4,842,770

Year-over-year Increase: 2%



6. Idaho
2008 Population: 1,523,816

2007 Population: 1,496,145

Year-over-year Increase: 1.85%



7. Wyoming
2008 Population: 532,668

2007 Population: 523,252

Year-over-year Increase: 1.8%



8. Nevada
2008 Population: 2,600,167

2007 Population: 2,554,344

Year-over-year Increase: 1.79%



9. Georgia
2008 Population: 9,685,744

2007 Population: 9,523,297

Year-over-year Increase: 1.71%



10. South Carolina
2008 Population: 4,479,800

2007 Population: 4,404,914

Year-over-year Increase: 1.7%

This is just fastest growing by percentage, not actual numbers. New York actually gained more then twice as many persons as Wyoming - approximately 19,000. But it's growth rate was only .1% versus Wyoming's 1.8%.

[Atlas]

Utah and it's mormons breed like rabbits, so this is not very surprising. The rest must be mainly mexicans coming in or making babies, even in North Carolina.

[Treffie]

I wonder why Wyoming's population is growing so rapidly?

[Æmeric]

Mormons don't have has many babies as they use to. 40,000 births over the last year would equal a birthrate of approxiamtely 16 per thousand. Thirty years ago it was 30. The globalization of the economy & asset inflation - raising home prices - has hit Utah also.

I wonder why Wyoming's population is growing so rapidly?

The oil & gas boom. It may decline in 2009.

[Carl]

Is there any skew towards the south - I refer to the S Americans coming in. I remember a programme detailing the transit of people even from central S America making their way up to chance the border somehow! Can we assume that the figures do not reflect illegals?

[Æmeric]

The numbers are based on US Census Bureau estimates which does include illegals. Though various Latino & Negro civil rights organizations are always accusing the Census Bureau of underestimating their numbers.

There has been a trend for the last several decades of faster population growth in the South & West. This had to do with the Right-to-Work Laws outside of the Northeast & Midwest states, along with lower taxes & cheaper housing. My family was part of the Sunbelt migration in the early 70s.

One reason those areas have seen such a dramatic increase in the numbers of Latinos is they come for the construction & service sector jobs associated with large population growth.

[Psychonaut]

Is there any skew towards the south - I refer to the S Americans coming in. I remember a programme detailing the transit of people even from central S America making their way up to chance the border somehow! Can we assume that the figures do not reflect illegals?

Correct me if I'm wrong Æmeric (I think you're more knowledgeable on this than I), but I've always been under the impression that while there is some trickle from South America, the Mexican government keeps their Southern border locked down pretty tightly and is notorious for treating illegal Guatemalan immigrants very harshly. Ironic, I know.

[Æmeric]

That's correct but some do manage to get to the US border. In addition to Mexicans we also have Salvadorans in Indiana. And they do not get along with Mexicans.

A significant number of aliens crossing the US-Mexican illegally are OTMs - Other Then Mexican. And unlike the Mexicans they cannot be simply escorted back to the border because Mexico will not take them.

Not all illegals sneak across the border. Some enter legally & then overstay their visas. I was on a flight from Atalnta to Phoenix a couple of years ago & we had to wait for a group of travellers arriving on a late flight to make their connection. About 40 Latinos - I'm guessing Guatamalans since they looked sort of Mayan - got on board. Don't know where they flew in from but they looked like day laborers. Airport security only requires valid ID for flying, they do not check for immigration status.

[Carl]

Not all illegals sneak across the border. Some enter legally & then overstay their visas. I was on a flight from Atalnta to Phoenix a couple of years ago & we had to wait for a group of travellers arriving on a late flight to make their connection. About 40 Latinos - I'm guessing Guatamalans since they looked sort of Mayan - got on board.....

- this seems in line with my TV progr. which seemed to show that S American "indians" were heading north - although I do not know the figures. Does it even matter? It shows the overall failure of southern border controls - a fact of life which has been there for a good long time! Little by little, the old America is being eroded - and we have surely a demonstration of this in the new Politik so keenly awaited!!

We know what socialism of the soft kind means here --- my guess is that on this topic , it could be much more of the same!