Only Michigan, Rhode Island lose population
By Stephen Ohlemacher
The Associated Press, December 22, 2008
Washington, DC (AP) — The nation's great migration south and west is slowing, thanks to a housing crisis that is making it hard for many to move.
Only two states Michigan and Rhode Island lost population from 2007 to 2008, according to the new estimates. But growth rates fell in many states, even for those that had been adding residents at a rapid clip.
Most southern and western states aren't growing nearly as fast as they were at the start of the decade, pausing a long-term trend fueled by the desire for open spaces and warmer climates, according to population estimates released Monday by the Census Bureau.
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Foreign immigration has slowed since the start of the decade and fewer people are moving around within the nation's borders. A study by the Pew Research Center found that only 13 percent of U.S. residents moved from 2006 to 2007 the smallest percentage since the government began tracking movers in the late 1940s.
Florida has attracted more people from other states than any other state in the nation since the start of the decade. However, from 2007 to 2008, more people left Florida for other states than moved in a net loss of nearly 9,300 people. The state still gained population from births and foreign immigration, but growth was slower than in previous years.
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EDITORS NOTE: The Census population estimates are available online at: http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.php
