Arizona among fastest-growing states, according to US Census Bureau
Dec 20, 2018, 1:00 PM
(Pixabay Photo)
(Pixabay Photo)
PHOENIX – Any way you count it, Arizona is one of the fastest-growing states in the country.
It was the only state ranked among the top four in population growth by both amount and percentage over the last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Wednesday.
The Grand Canyon State’s population grew by 122,770 people between July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2018, an increase of 1.7 percent. Both of those figures ranked fourth nationally.
The total population in Arizona increased from 7,048,876 to 7,171,646 in that span.
Welcome to the more than 122,000 new residents who made Arizona their home over the last year! 🌵☀️😎 https://t.co/2xx4Ncl90N
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) December 20, 2018
Only Texas (379,128), Florida (322,513) and California (157,696) had larger growth than Arizona by amount, and only Nevada (2.1 percent), Idaho (2.1) and Utah (1.9) grew faster by percentage.
“With our high quality of life, growing economy and abundance of new jobs, and some of the best schools in the nation, Arizona continues to prove itself as an unbeatable place to live, raise a family and retire,” Gov. Doug Ducey said in a press release.
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Most of the state’s growth was the result of newcomers.
Arizona welcomed 97,575 residents who moved in, 83,240 from other U.S. states or territories and 14,355 from outside the country.
Florida was the only state with a higher number of newcomers (132,602) from within the U.S.
“In the game of states, people vote with their feet, and Arizona is winning,” Ducey said.
The rest of the growth, 24,744 people, was the natural increase derived from the difference between births and deaths.
