Recent Population Trends for

Counties and Metro/Micro Areas

Marc Perry

Population Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Materials for C-SPAN Segment on

Population Estimates

March 22, 2013

Highlights, 2011-2012

• National population growth slowed in recent years; U.S.

population up 2.3 million

• Oil & gas boom now driving population growth in parts of

Great Plains

• Population growth concentrated: half of country’s

increase occurred in just 46 of 3,143 counties

• Metro areas increased by 2.4 million; 4 of 5 metro areas

grew

2

3

Percent Change in Population by County 2011 to 2012

2001 to 2002

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates and 2000 to 2010 Intercensal Estimates

Percent Change in Population

by County: 2011 to 2012

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates

4

Percent Change in Population

by County: 2001 to 2002

5 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, 2000 to 2010 Intercensal Estimates

Percent Change in Population by County Size

Category: 2011 to 2012

-0.3 -0.4 -0.2 0.2

0.8

1.0

U.S. change: 0.7 %

Less than 5,000

10,000 to

24,999

5,000 To

9,999

25,000 to

99,999

100,000 to

499,999

500,000 or more

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates

6

The 10 Fastest Growing Counties:

2011 to 2012 (among counties with total populations of 10,000 or more in 2012)

7

0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0

Midland, TX

Russell, AL

St. Bernard, LA

Long, GA

Fredericksburg, VA

Stark, ND

Richland, MT

Geary, KS

Williams, ND

Chattahoochee, GA

Percent Increase

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates

Numeric Change in Population

by County: 2011 to 2012

8 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates

Metro and Micro Areas

• 381 Metro Areas

• 85% of population, 28% of land area

• Grew by 0.9% last year

• 48 of the 100 fastest-growing counties

• 536 Micro Areas

• 9% of population, 19% of land area

• Stable population last year

• 20 of the 100 fastest-growing counties

• Rest of U.S.

• 6% of population, 53% of land area

• Population fell by 0.5%

9 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates

Percent Change in Metro and

Micro Area Population: 2011 to 2012

10 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates

Percent Change in Counties Outside

Metro and Micro Areas: 2011 to 2012

11 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates

The 10 Fastest Growing Metro Areas:

2011 to 2012

12

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0

Columbus, GA-AL

Casper, WY

Austin-Round Rock, TX

Jacksonville, NC

Odessa, TX

The Villages, FL

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL

Clarksville, TN-KY

Midland, TX

Percent Increase

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates

Natural Increase (Births minus Deaths) for Metro and Micro Areas: 2011 to 2012

(Annual rate expressed per 1,000 population)

13 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates

Net Migration for Metro and Micro Areas: 2011 to 2012

(Annual rate expressed per 1,000 population)

14 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2012 Population Estimates