CHARLESTON -
West Virginia has been among the slowest-growing states in terms of population since 2010, according to estimates released by the Census Bureau Dec. 20.
The state's population grew by 2,419 people from the census on April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2012. That was a growth rate of .13 of 1 percent, the sixth lowest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Christiadi, a demographer with the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research, said two main factors keep the state's population growth to a near stall: a significant increase in the gap between deaths and births and a modest population gain from domestic net-migration.
"The modest gain from the net migration in the last two years was driven partly by the slowing of the state economy as we suffer from the lingering effect of the great recession, as well as by significant job losses in the energy sectors," Christiadi said in a news release issued by WVU.
In 2012, deaths in West Virginia were estimated to outnumber births by 1,600, a nearly 15 percent increase from the 1,200 gap in 2011. For comparison purposes, the average gap in the last decade was 150 per year. Deaths are expected to continue to outnumber births in the next few years as rapid population aging continues, Christiadi said.
"This is the period in which the number of West Virginians turning 65 far outnumbers that of younger people joining the state population. This trend will likely continue through the end of the 2020s, when all the baby boomers turn 65 years old or older," Christiadi said.
This, he said, leaves net migration as the primary source for the state's population growth.
"West Virginia receives a sizeable number of people who move here for a variety of reasons, including out-of-state students attending West Virginia colleges, out-of-state workers looking for cheaper houses, out-of-state residents getting new jobs in the state and West Virginia-born residents returning back to the state " Christiadi said.
"We may not be able to increase the net-migration gain to the last decade's level of around 4,000 per year. However, as the state economy gradually recovers, the net-migration gain should gradually increase as well," said Christiadi.
According to Census Bureau estimates, Rhode Island has lost population since the census and Michigan has roughly the same number of residents – and increase of maybe 20 people out of about 9.9 million. Vermont, Maine and Ohio had lower growth rates than West Virginia.
The District of Columbia had the highest growth rate since 2010, followed by North Dakota. Aided by the Baaken Shale oil boom, North Dakota has gained 27,037 people since the census – slightly less than the population of Wheeling or Morgantown.
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