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- Most of these states are generally low-tax, and at least somewhat conservative states. I don't think the growth in these places is an accident. When you keep taxes low, you attract jobs, and when you attract jobs you attract people, and when you attract people your population and tax-base grows. Washington is an obvious exception, but big spending in the District is likely related to big growth in population.
- I'm interested in seeing where this growth comes from. Utah has a relatively high birth-rate, but I assume they're getting a lot of newcomers, too, and North Dakota's growth is almost definitely a result of the robust energy industry because of the Bakken. Are these Californians fleeing the economic disaster of that state? It'll be interesting, too, to see if the political, lifestyle, cultural, etc. tendencies of these states change. The problem is that they won't be such great places to live anymore if California politics follow California transplants.
- It might be more about the "low-tax belt" than the sunbelt. Sunny skies and warm weather might be nice, but good jobs and low taxes are even nicer. When you can get both, as in Texas, you'll see Texas-sized growth levels. Otherwise, you'll take a job and more of your paycheck in Wyoming and Colorado, enjoy the mountains, and deal with the cold weather.
Most of them have small population and large land area, so combined makes them easy to grow fast.
Texas and Florida nonwithstanding, and DC is not a state.
Most of them have small population and large land area, so combined makes them easy to grow fast.
Texas and Florida nonwithstanding, and DC is not a state.
Also did cities come out?
I think there are many, many more factors in these states' growth that come before low taxes. I'm sure for many people that is a draw, and some even the main draw. But I'd say large available land, low populations to start with (hence fastest and not largest growth), low housing prices, general availability of housing and yes, jobs as the biggest draws.
Good for North Dakota! Their growth has been stagnant for too long.
I almost moved to North Dakota, but not for oil, rather golf, lol. I visited Grand Forks and really enjoyed it. It was a college town, had a great little downtown, plenty of outdoor activities, the locals were super nice etc.
I also went went to Fargo for a NDSU football game and had a blast there. That's a very underrated place to live IF you can handle the winters.
Ultimately, I went with Bozeman, MT. The winters are simply too cold in ND and Bozeman is just a phenomenal place to spend a few years imo.
1) Texas 427K
2) California 358K
3) Florida 235K
4) Georgia 108K
5) North Carolina 101K
other five are AZ, VA, WA, CO, NY in that order
When you look at components of pop. growth, you can conclude the following:
- Texas continues to attract a huge number of domestic and int'l migrants. It also has a very high birth rate, which creates a lot of population growth
-California continues to suffer from domestic outmigration. It's growing due to immigration and a high birth rate.
-Florida was losing residents after the housing bubble burst, but it's become a magnet for domestic movers and immigrants once again. This is contributing to most of its population growth. Its birth to death rate is pretty low, probably because of the high percentage of senior citizens there.
-NC and GA aren't growing as fast as they once were, but they're still attracting a lot of people from across the country and abroad. North Carolina has a higher migration rate than Georgia, but GA has a higher birth rate, which is why GA had a larger increase
-Michigan gained population for the first time in several years! BUT...Georgia surpassed it as the 8th most populous state
-Th rustbelt as a whole is not adding many people. It's a combination of outmigration and low birth rates
-The Northeast is holding its own. The region attracts a lot of immigrants which is constituting much of the growth there
-Utah has an INSANELY high birthrate...gee I wonder why?
-North Dakota only gained 15,000 people but its small population made that the highest percent increase in the nation. This was the case with many of the other fastest growing states.
North Dakota is on the cusp of breaking out of the 600K's, where it's been stuck every census from 1920 to 2010.
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