State Population Trends

EDWIN BYERLY

Texas is now the Nation's second largest State.

Texas is now our second most populous State behind California, passing New York in the year between July 1993 and July 1994. During the 1993 to 1994 period, Texas expanded by 356,000 persons to reach a July 1, 1994, population of 18.4 million. Just over half of its growth was from natural increase (births minus deaths), one quarter was from net domestic migration, and the rest was from net international movement. Texas was the eighth fastest growing State (2.0 percent) in the Nation during the July 1993 to July 1994 period.

California was in a growth slump.

California held the rank of the Nation's fifth fastest growing State during the 1980 to 1990 period, but dropped to the nineteenth position during the 1990 to 1994 period. Its population is still growing, but the rate of growth has declined each year since 1990, and its 1993-94 growth rate of 0.7 percent was well below the national average of 1.0 percent.

California has experienced increasing rates of net domestic outmigration since 1990. Its 1993 to 1994 net domestic outmigration rate reached 1.4 percent, the highest of any State, and represented a net loss of 426,000 migrants to other States. Only its high rates of net international migration and natural increase are allowing California a modest growth rate.

The Rocky Mountain States were on a fast growth tract.

Seven of the Nation's ten fastest growing States during the 1993 to 1994 period were Rocky Mountain States. Nevada led all States with a 5.4 percent gain from 1993 to 1994, followed by Arizona with a 3.3 percent gain. The population of the Rocky Mountain States has increased at a high rate because of migration from other States. Nearly 80.0 percent of Nevada's 1993 to 1994 population change was from domestic migration.

The South grew the most.

The South and the West regions each grew by 1.4 percent during the 1993 to 1994 period, but the South grew by the largest amount of any region, expanding by 1.3 million persons. The Southern States of Texas, Florida, and Georgia ranked first, second, and fourth, respectively, in the Nation in amount of population growth. Georgia was the South's fastest growing State, growing by 2.2 percent during the 1993 to 1994 period. In the South, all but Louisiana, Maryland, and the District of Columbia experienced positive net domestic migration between 1993 and 1994. The District of Columbia actually experienced a population loss between 1993 and 1994.

The Northeast and Midwest registered modest growth.

Both the Northeast and Midwest regions expanded their populations between 1993 and 1994. The Northeast grew by 0.2 percent, despite a net domestic outmigration rate of 0.6 percent. New Hampshire and Vermont were the two fastest growing States in the Northeast, and were the only two States in the region not to have net domestic outmigration. Connecticut and Rhode Island were the Nation's only States to have a smaller population in 1994 than in 1993.

The Midwest region grew by 0.6 percent between 1993 and 1994, with Minnesota, Missouri, and Indiana being the three fastest growing States in the region. Only 4 of the 12 Midwestern States incurred a net loss of domestic migrants to other States.

Graph: Percent Change in Population, by State: 1993 to 1994

Graph: Percent Change Due to Net Domestic Migration, by State: 1993 to 1994

For Further Information

See: Department of Commerce Press Release CB 94-204 "Texas Now Second Largest State, Nevada Fastest Growing, District of Columbia Fastest Loser, Census Bureau Says."