Western states led in population growth in 2009

Three Western states were the nation's fastest growing in 2009, according to new population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The total number of residents in Wyoming, Utah and Texas increased by 2 percent or more, a pace double that of the U.S. as a whole. Other rapidly growing Western states were Colorado, Washington and Arizona. With the exception of Alaska, the remaining top 10 fast-growth states were from the South.

Three Western states were the nation's fastest growing in 2009, according to new population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The total number of residents in Wyoming, Utah and Texas increased by 2 percent or more, a pace double that of the U.S. as a whole.

Other rapidly growing Western states were Colorado, Washington and Arizona. With the exception of Alaska, the remaining top 10 fast-growth states were from the South (see table). The Western region grew by 1.23 percent in 2009, compared to 1.16 percent for the South, 0.41 percent for the Northeast and 0.36 percent for the Midwest.

The nation grew by 0.86 percent. Figures reported by the U. S. Census Bureau are estimates for population changes between July 2008 and June 2009. With the exception of Montana, population in all Western states grew more rapidly than the nation in 2009.

Western states also led the nation in each category of growth, including natural increase (Utah and Colorado), domestic migration (Texas) or international migration (California and Texas).

Domestic migration slowed

Movement from state to state slowed in 2009 compared to recent years. In 2006, a peak year for domestic migration, an estimated 1.2 million people moved from one state to another. In 2009, with movement restricted by diminishing job opportunities and weak housing markets, only about one half million people relocated to other states.

The leading destination state for 2009 movers was Texas. The Lone Star State attracted 143,423 new residents from other states, or more than one out of four domestic migrants. Other top destination states in the West were Washington and Colorado (see table).

Texas had the strongest job market of the top domestic migrant destinations. Texas was adding jobs and ranked third among all states at the beginning of the migration period, July 2008. Washington and Colorado were also among the top ten states for employment growth in July, and were adding jobs in that month.

Both North and South Carolina were losing jobs over-the-year in July of 2008, but still managed to attract a relatively large number of domestic migrants. Absent from the ranks of the leading destination states for domestic migrants are Arizona, Nevada and Florida.

Domestic migration to Arizona in 2009 was 15,111 compared to more than 130,000 in 2006. Nevada lost 3,801 residents to out-migration in 2009. Florida suffered net domestic outmigration for the second consecutive year in 2009, after attracting more than 140,000 in 2006. Overall, 23 states lost residents to other states in 2009.

California attracts international migrants

Although Western states Arizona and Nevada have dropped out of the list of top domestic migrant destinations, California continues to lead the nation in international immigration, as it has each year since the census of 2000.

International migration to the U.S. fell this year to 854,905 from a peak of 1.2 million in 2001, but California still received about one out of five of the new international residents.