State crawls out of population spiral
by Statehouse News ServiceDecember 27, 2006 -- After two straight years of population loss, Massachusetts gained a sparse 3,826 people this year, ranking as the fifth slowest-growing state in the nation.
US Census Bureau numbers show the Bay State with a meager uptick of one-tenth of one percent between July 1, 2005 and July 1, 2006, bringing its overall population to 6,437,193, maintaining its ranking as the 13th most populated state.
The population increase, while modest, liberates the state from its unhappy distinction of being the only state with two consecutive years of population loss.
The new U.S. Census Bureau statistics arrive nearly two months after the Bureau acknowledged a counting error it made showing population decline in the city of Boston. After estimating that the capital had lost roughly 30,000 residents between 2000 and 2005, officials said in October that the city had actually gained about 7,500 residents in that time.
Scarred by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, Louisiana showed the most dramatic population change this year, losing nearly 5 percent of its population, almost 220,000 people.
In Massachusetts, the population drain has vexed policymakers on several fronts. Many federal funding formulas are calculated based on population, and the state fears a drop in aid from Washington if its lackluster trends continue.
From a political standpoint, the Congressional House delegation could lose a member after the next census, in 2010, if the state lags others considerably.
Another problem linked to population declines is the perceived “brain drain,” that the state is losing young and bright workers who could bolster its “innovation economy.”
Regionally, the Northeast showed by far the most modest growth, climbing one-tenth of a percent, well below the overall national growth rate of 1 percent. The West showed 1.5 percent growth, followed by the South at 1.4 percent, and the Midwest at 0.4 percent. Those trends repeated last year’s rankings.
Only the District of Columbia, Michigan, and Rhode Island lost population, according to the Bureau.
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