All but two states—Illinois and West Virginia—gained residents over the past decade, even as population growth nationwide slowed down, but Louisiana is gaining residents at a slower pace than most states and actually had a small net population loss in 2018.
Louisiana was among nine states that lost population last year, according to a new population study from The Pew Charitable Trusts, a group that includes West Virginia, Illinois, Alaska, Hawaii, New York, Wyoming, Mississippi and Connecticut. In each, the losses were driven primarily by people moving out, but West Virginia also had more deaths than births.
The fastest-growing states in the 10 years ending July 2018 were predominantly in the West and South. Topping the list were Utah, Texas, Colorado, and North Dakota, which each added people at more than twice the median rate and were among the top five in economic growth since the Great Recession began.
States with fast-growing populations typically have strong labor force growth, Pew reports, which fuels economic activity and helps generate tax revenue to fund any increased spending on infrastructure, education, and other government services. Read the full report.
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