From A River To A Stream: Arizona’s Once Strong Population Flow Has Turned Into A Trickle

Western states continued to lead the nation in population growth in 2009, but that lead — especially in Arizona — has shortened significantly.

According to the latest posting on the Western Blue Chip Economic Forecast, three Western states had the nation’s fastest growth rate based on figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Wyoming, Utah and Texas led the nation in growth with a 2 percent or more increase.

The West grew by 1.23 percent last year, compared to 1.16 percent for the South, 0.41 percent for the Northeast and 0.36 percent for the Midwest. The nation grew by 0.86 percent.

Arizona was in the top 10, coming it at No. 7 with a growth rate of 1.48 percent.

While some growth is better than none, Arizona’s in-migration numbers tell a much more troubling story — especially for a state that relies so heavily on new residents.

According to the Census figures, domestic migration to Arizona last year stood at 15,111. In 2006, that number was more than 130,000. Compare that to the leading in-migration state, Texas, which attracted more than 143,400 people from other states — more than one in four of all domestic migrants.

The explanation for why Texas has become more attractive than Arizona is very simple: jobs. Texas has them; Arizona doesn’t.