Texas marks another year where it leads the nation in total population growth, adding nearly 400,000 new residents, according to the latest figures by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Between July 2016 and July 2017, the Lone Star State grew by 399,734 people, boosting its population to 28.3 million the census data showed. Breitbart Texas reported the state added 432,957 people during July 2015 to July 2016, increasing the population to almost 28 million. By comparison, the number of Texans in 2000 reflected 21 million. In 2010, the population totaled 25.1 million. The Census Bureau’s State Data Center noted that each year between 2010 and 2016, Texas garnered the nation’s largest annual population growth, a mixture of births and net migration. Same held true for 2017.
Following Texas in this year’s population gains were Florida (327,811), California (240,177), Washington (124,809), North Carolina (116,730), Georgia (115,759), Arizona (107,628), Colorado (77,049), Tennessee (66,580), and South Carolina (64,547).
In 2014-15, nearly 500,000 individuals relocated to Texas. This year, though, the majority of the state’s growth came from a “natural increase,” meaning more Texans had babies. The Bureau also factored in the number of deaths during the tracked period, netting an increase of 209,690 people. They then added in 189,580 individuals from international migration (110,417) and transplants from other U.S. states (79,163).
According to the census information, international net migration included the foreign-born and native populations like armed forces members who moved between the U.S. and overseas, plus migration between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The July 2016 to July 2017 timeline preceded Hurricane Irma. Nationally, net international migration dropped 1.8 percent, the first decline since 2012-13, although international migration continues to be a significant factor in U.S. population growth, adding 1.1 million people in the past year.
These statistics do not identify refugee or migrant populations illegally in the country. However, a report by U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed that in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 the number of total apprehensions along the U.S. southwest border with Mexico tumbled to 303,916 from 408,870 in FY 2016.
Breitbart Texas reported:
Of the 303,916 total apprehensions, Family Unit Aliens (FMUA) and Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) made up nearly 40 percent (117,057 total FMUA and UAC). In FY 2016, Border Patrol agents apprehended 77,674 FMUAs. This number fell in 2017 — a slight decrease of 2.64 percent. Agents arrested 59,629 UACs in FY 2016. This number fell to 41,435 in FY 2017 — a nearly 31 percent decrease.
The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector continues to lead the nine sectors that make up the nation’s southwest border with Mexico in apprehensions of FMUAs and UACs. During FY 2017, agents arrested 49,896 FMUAs in the RGV Sector. During that same period, agents arrested 23,708 UACs, officials reported. These numbers are down from 52,006 and 36,714 respectively.
Texas ranked second to California as the most populous state this year. The Golden State experienced a 0.6 percent population increase to 39.5 million. Florida ranked third with nearly 21 million residents. New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan rounded out the top 1o.
Although Texas topped the list of states where the number of people increased, the Census Bureau named Idaho the nation’s fasting growing this year by percentage, upping its population by 2.2 percent to 1.7 million. Nevada ranked second largest percentage growth followed by Utah, Washington, and a tie between Florida and Arizona. Texas placed seventh, up from 10th last year. In 2015-16, Utah was the fastest growing state.
Overall, U.S. population grew by 2.3 million to 325.7 million, a 0.7 percent change from 323.4 million last year. Regionally, the South swept population growth, representing nearly 123.7 million people or 38 percent of the nation’s population. The West came in second with 77.4 million, or 23.8 percent, of U.S. residents. The Midwest ranked third and the Northeast, last.
People of voting age (18 years and older) equaled 252.1 million, a 0.93 percent bump up from 249.5 million last year. This demographic represented 77.4 percent of the total 2017 U.S. population.
Eight states lost residents this year. Illinois felt the sharpest decline, losing 33,703 people. West Virginia downsized by 12,780 residents. Wyoming shrunk by almost 5,600 inhabitants, the largest population percentage drop of 1 percent. Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Vermont, which lost residents in 2015-16 saw slight gains this year.
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