Louisiana Population Rallying After Katrina, Data Shows

Jan 09, 12:32 AM

WASHINGTON - Louisiana appears to be rebounding from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, gaining 50,000 residents in the year ending July 1, according to new Census Bureau state population estimates released today.

After the storm hit in August 2005, the bureau estimated the state lost 250,000 residents. Despite the most recent gain, the state is far from returning to its pre-Katrina population level of 4.5 million.

The Census Bureau estimate is reached by measuring births, deaths and migration into and out of each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

In Louisiana, the Census estimates a net increase of people moving into the state of 29,000, accounting for more than half the jump.

The fastest-growing states continue to be in the Rocky Mountain region and the Southeast.

Texas also is still attracting new residents at a rapid rate.

Top spot

Nevada returned to the top spot having increased in population by 2.9 percent to 2.6 million. Nevada held that title for 19 years in a row before being bumped off by Arizona last year. Arizona is the second-fastest-growing state according to the current estimate, with a population increase of 2.8 percent to 6.3 million.

Only two states lost population. Michigan's population dipped by three-tenths of a percent and Rhode Island saw a decrease of four- tenths of a percent. Ohio's

growth was virtually flat.

Florida, a state whose economy has been fueled largely by a steady stream of retirees crossing the border each year, gained in population but at a slower rate than usual. Florida was the 19th- fastest-growing state through July 2007 compared with the previous year when it ranked ninth.

Florida's population increased by 1.1 percent to 18.3 million as of July 2007. The previous year the rate of increase was 1.8 percent.

"If there's one state that's a little surprising, I would say it's Florida," said Greg Harper, a demographer with the bureau.

Texas, meanwhile, had the seventh-fastest growth by percentage, and tops numerically, having drawn about 500,000 new residents.

Closer to normal

Earlier this week, urban planning consultancy firm GCR & Associates estimated New Orleans' population at 300,000, or about 65 percent of its pre-Hurricane Katrina size, which was around 455,000.

GCR chief executive and New Orleans native Greg Rigamer said people have been coming back to the city at a rate of 3,000 to 4,000 per month, which includes in-state migration. Things are looking up, but the city still suffers from failing infrastructure, poor health care and educational services and a "horrific" criminal justice problem.

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Notable population changes

Census Bureau's estimates of the population of each state on July 1, 2007. The states and the District of Columbia are listed in order of rate of population increase.

State July 2007 July 2006 %Change

1. Nevada 2,565,382 2,492,427 2.9

2. Arizona 6,338,755 6,165,689 2.8

3. Utah 2,645,330 2,579,535 2.6

4. Idaho 1,499,402 1,463,878 2.4

5. Georgia 9,544,750 9,342,080 2.2

6. North Carolina 9,061,032 8,869,442 2.2

7. Texas 23,904,380 23,407,629 2.1

8. Colorado 4,861,515 4,766,248 2.0

9. Wyoming 522,830 512,757 2.0

10. South Carolina 4,407,709 4,330,108 1.8

24. Kentucky 4,241,474 4,204,444 0.9

31. Indiana 6,345,289 6,302,646 0.7

33. Illinois 12,852,548 12,777,042 0.6

42. Massachusetts 6,449,755 6,434,389 0.2

43. New Jersey 8,685,920 8,666,075 0.2

44. Connecticut 3,502,309 3,495,753 0.2

45. West Virginia 1,812,035 1,808,699 0.2

46. Maine 1,317,207 1,314,910 0.2

47. New York 19,297,729 19,281,988 0.1

48. Vermont 621,254 620,778 0.1

49. Ohio 11,466,917 11,463,513 0.02

50. Michigan 10,071,822 10,102,322 -0.3

51. Rhode Island 1,057,832 1,061,641 -0.4

(c) 2007 Evansville Courier & Press. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved. Louisiana Population Rallying After Katrina, Data Shows
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