FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 26, 1996 (FRIDAY) Public Information Office CB96-10 301-457-3030 301-457-4067 (TDD) Edwin Byerly 301-457-2419 NEW YORK LOSES POPULATION; TEXAS, FLORIDA, AND CALIFORNIA HAVE LARGEST GAINS, CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS New York's population dropped more than any other state between July 1994 and July 1995--the first population drop for the state since the 1970s--according to population estimates released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. The new estimates also show that Texas, Florida, and California had the largest population gains during the period. New York's population on July 1, 1995 was estimated at 18,136,000, a decrease of 17,000 people, or 0.1 percent, from the previous year's estimate of 18,153,000. The state's 1994-95 population loss was precipitated by net domestic outmigration (net outmigration to other states) of 219,000, and by a decline in net international migration since earlier in the decade. During the 1970s, the number of New York residents declined by 683,000 or 3.7 percent. From 1990 to 1994, California experienced a lessening of its population growth rate. In 1994-95, for the second year in a row, the state's growth rate was 0.6 percent, adding 181,000 to its population. During the last three years, California's population has grown below the national rate. Domestic outmigration is the principal cause of California's slowed growth this decade. California's worst year in terms of net domestic outmigration was 1993-94, when it experienced a net loss of 417,000 migrants to other states. The outmigration lessened last year (383,000), which resulted in the state's stabilized growth rate. Texas, the nation's second largest state, grew by 311,000 persons (1.7 percent) last year to reach a 1995 population of 18,724,000. Natural increase (births minus deaths), and both domestic (53,000) and international (67,000) migration, contributed to its growth. The nation's five fastest-growing states during the 1994-95 period were all Western states. Nevada was the fastest growing state, expanding by 4.7 percent. Arizona was second at 3.4 percent, followed by Idaho at 2.5 percent, and Colorado (2.3 percent) and Utah (2.2 percent). The West as a whole grew 1.3 percent. The South also grew by 1.3 percent during the 1994-95 period. The fastest growing states in the South were Georgia (2.0 percent), North Carolina (1.8 percent), and Texas (1.7 percent). Florida, which had the nation's second largest population gain (208,000), tied Tennessee at 1.5 percent growth. The South was the only region to experience growth from net domestic migration. Minnesota was narrowly the fastest growing Midwestern state during the 12-month period, growing by 0.9 percent. Growth in the Midwest has been 0.6 or 0.7 percent during each year in the 1990s. In the Northeast region, population growth during the 1994-95 period remained sluggish at 0.2 percent. New Hampshire and Vermont--the only Northeastern states to experience a net gain of migrants from other states--were the region's fastest growing states. New York (-17,000) and Rhode Island (-5,000) were the only two states in the nation to lose population during the 1994-95 period; and the District of Columbia's population dropped by 13,000. The nation's population increased from 260.4 million in 1994 to 262.8 million in 1995, a growth of 2.4 million, or 0.9 percent. Both natural increase (1,664,000) and net international migration (702,000) contributed to the growth.-X-Editor's Note: media requests should go to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office on 301-457-3030; fax: 301-457-3670; or e-mail: pio@census.gov. Other requests should go to the Census Bureau's Population Statistics Information Staff on 301-457-2422. This internet address is: http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/statepop.html
