EMBARGOED UNTIL: 12:01 A.M. EST, DECEMBER 31, 1998 (THURSDAY) Public Information Office CB98-242 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-1037 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Marc Perry (Subject Matter) 301-457-2419 Gregory Harper (Methodology) 301-457-2385 Population Growth Accelerates in California, Slows in Rest of the West, Census Bureau Reports California's population growth rate rose again during the year ending July 1, 1998, but growth in the rest of the West slowed, according to new population estimates from the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. The West remained the fastest-growing region in the nation, with its population increasing 1.6 percent, followed by the South (1.3 percent), the Midwest (0.4 percent) and the Northeast (0.3 percent). California, the nation's most populous state, grew by 1.5 percent last year its highest rate since 1992 and well above the national rate of 1.0 percent. It had the highest numerical increase of any state (484,000). The increase in population growth in California contrasts with a pronounced slowing in a number of neighboring Western states that had grown rapidly in recent years. Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington all saw lower population growth in the past year, primarily due to declines in net domestic migration (in-migration minus out-migration). Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming all grew at rates below the national rate. The Census Bureau reported that net domestic migration is negative in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. "Much of the population growth in the rest of the West was due to a truly phenomenal amount of domestic out-migration to other Western states from California during the early and middle part of the decade," said Marc Perry, a Census Bureau demographer. "But, with far fewer people leaving California now, this source of population growth for other states just isn't there anymore. As a result, population growth rates in other Western states have dropped in recent years." While Nevada's growth rate slowed, it remained the nation's fastest-growing state for the 13th straight year. Between July 1, 1997, and July 1, 1998, population growth was 4.1 percent, down from 4.9 percent for the previous year. Nevada's population now has grown by a staggering 45.4 percent since April 1, 1990, increasing from 1,202,000 to 1,747,000. Arizona followed in population growth last year, increasing by 2.5 percent. The other fastest-growing states were Georgia and Colorado (2.0 percent each) and Texas (1.9 percent). In the South, Georgia, with a growth rate of 2.0 percent, was the region's fastest-growing state, followed by Texas (1.9 percent), Florida (1.6 percent) and North Carolina (1.6 percent). The District of Columbia (-1.3 percent) and West Virginia (-0.2 percent) both lost population. In the Midwest, Kansas was the fastest-growing state (17th in the nation) between 1997 and 1998, increasing by 1.1 percent. No other state in the region grew faster than the nation as a whole, and North Dakota lost population (-0.4 percent). The Northeast continued to be the nation's slowest growing region, with a population growth rate of 0.3 percent last year; however, this was an increase from 0.2 percent the previous year. New Hampshire was again the region's fastest-growing state at 1.1 percent. It was the only state in the region to grow faster than the nation. Other findings include: - States with the highest rates of net domestic migration last year were Nevada (2.7 percent), Arizona (1.4 percent), Georgia (1.0 percent), Colorado (1.0 percent) and North Carolina (0.9 percent). - The lowest rates of net domestic migration were found in: the District of Columbia (-2.4 percent), Hawaii (-1.4 percent), New York (-1.1 percent), North Dakota (-1.0 percent) and Alaska (-0.8 percent). - The highest rates of international migration were in: California (0.8 percent), the District of Columbia (0.7 percent), New York (0.7 percent), New Jersey (0.7 percent) and Florida (0.5 percent). - States with the largest rates of natural increase (births minus deaths) were Utah (1.5 percent), Alaska (1.2 percent), Texas (1.0 percent), California (0.9 percent), and Hawaii (0.9 percent). - West Virginia was the first state in recent years to have more deaths than births (natural decrease). The Census Bureau estimated the nation as a whole grew by 1.0 percent between July 1, 1997, and July 1, 1998, increasing from 267,744,000 to 270,299,000.-X-The U.S. Census Bureau, pre-eminent collector and disseminator of timely, relevant and quality data about the people and the economy of the United States, conducts a population and housing census every 10 years, an economic census every five years and more than 100 demographic and economic surveys every year, all of them evolving from the first census in 1790.
