Latest Census Numbers Show Continued Growth Across Mountain West

The US Census Bureau released its latest population estimates for each of the states as of 1 July 2oo8 on Monday 22 December, and the numbers continue to show population increases for states in the Mountain West Region, as well for nearly all of the states in the union. Population increases for each of the eight states in the region range from just under 39,000 for the least populated state, Wyoming, to nearly 1.375 million for the most populated state, Arizona. Percentage increases for growth in this decade ranged from 7.2 % for Montana to 30.1 % for Nevada.

The raw numbers for population growth are as follows:

____pop 7/1/8___increase from 4/1/00
AZ: 6,500,180........up 1,369,573
CO: 4,939,456.........up... 637,441
ID: 1,523,816..........up... 229,861
MT:....967,440..........up.... 65,250
NV: 2,600,167.........up.... 601,910
NM: 1.984,356.........up.... 165,315
UT: 2,736,424.........up.... 503,220
WY:... 532,668.........up....... 38,886

And here are the percentage increases of for each of the eight states in the Mountain states region from 1 April '00 to 1 July '08:

AZ:....26.7 [2nd nationally]
CO:....14.8 [7th nationally]
ID:.....17.8 [5th nationally]
MT:.....7.2 [20th nationally]
NV:....30.1[1st nationally]
NM:.....9.1 [17th nationally]
UT:....22.5 [3rd nationally]
WY......7.9 [19th nationally]

Of course the biggest implications from these numbers are how they will result in changes to each state's congressional representation that will be reapportioned following the official 2010 census. Based on these latest numbers it would seem at this point the region will gain four new US House seats, which will increase the representation to 32, up 12.5 % from the current regional representation of 28. The seats would increase for Nevada (1), Utah (1), and Arizona (2). In addition Oregon would gain one seat and Texas would see its congressional representation increased by four, giving the Lone Star State a total of 36. Other states projected to have gains would be Georgia (1), South Carolina (1), North Carolina (1), and Florida (1-2).

States that are currently projected to lose congressional representation for the election in 2012 are California (1), Louisiana (1), Missouri (1), Iowa (1), Minnesota (1), Michigan (1), Illinois (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), New York (1), Massachusetts (1), and New Jersey (1).

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/12/census-bureau-r.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2008-12-22-census-congress-analysis_N.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2008-12-22-urah-nevada-census_N.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2008-12-22-census-congress-analysis_N.htm

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/013049.html

http://www.electiondataservices.com/images/File/NR_Appor08wTables.pdf

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