The fast-growing South
Which parts of the U.S. are growing the fastest? The Census Bureau has released its latest numbers, and once again, the West and South come out on top.
The list of top 10 states in terms of numbers they have increased over the last year is also dominated by the South and West:
These numbers drive the point home: The South and West are the regions of political power of the future. Neither is politically expendable, and anyone who says they are just can't be taken seriously.
FASTEST-GROWING STATESThe Northern states hailed as the future of the Democratic Party by some pundits are nowhere to be found on the list. Indeed, as if to answer those who claim the Midwest and Northeast should be the centerpiece of progressive strategy, the Census Bureau observes:
State and Percent Change, 2005-2006
1. Arizona - 3.6%
2. Nevada - 3.5
3. Idaho - 2.6
4. Georgia - 2.5
5. Texas - 2.5
6. Utah - 2.4
7. North Carolina - 2.1
8. Colorado - 1.9
9. Florida - 1.8
10. South Carolina - 1.7
* The Northeast region grew by only 62,000 people. In contrast, the South grew by 1.5 million and the West by 1 million. The Midwest added 281,000 people.[Note: We don't use the same definition of "The South" as the Census Bureau, which includes Oklahoma. But as the above table shows, that doesn't significantly change the results, because Oklahoma isn't the state driving the South's big gains.]
* The West was the fastest-growing region, with its population climbing by 1.5 percent. The South followed (1.4 percent), with the Midwest third (0.4 percent) and the Northeast fourth (0.1 percent).
* The South now accounts for 36 percent of the nation’s total population, with the West comprising 23 percent, the Midwest 22 percent and the Northeast 18 percent.
The list of top 10 states in terms of numbers they have increased over the last year is also dominated by the South and West:
FASTEST-GROWING STATESOne of the most notable states: North Carolina, which has overtaken New Jersey as the 10th largest state in the country. The Tarheel State now clocks in at 8,856,505 residents.
State and Number Change, 2005-2006
1. Texas 579,275
2. Florida 321,697
3. California 303,402
4. Georgia 231,388
5. Arizona 213,311
6. North Carolina 184,046
7. Washington 103,899
8. Colorado 90,082
9. Nevada 83,228
10. Tennessee 83,058
These numbers drive the point home: The South and West are the regions of political power of the future. Neither is politically expendable, and anyone who says they are just can't be taken seriously.
2 Comments:
Schaller's article is discussing Democrats winning seats in the North and Midwest, not population growth in those regions. In his book, he discusses population growth in the West as being vital to the Democratic party's future electoral successes, and as your post points out, the two fastest-growing states in percentage growth are Arizona and Nevada. Schaller's book devotes much discussion to Arizona, as well as Colorado, which is #8 on this list.
All his article is saying is that the Democratic wins came outside the South. He understands the South's population is growing.
Democrats did not lose the South overnight nor are we likely to win most of it back within one or two election cycles.
Several Southern states are potential Democratic wins in 2008 and it certainly does not help our long-term strategy to arrogantly write-off the South.
Democrats have made gains in the West by adapting to the culture of the region. We must do the same thing to become competitive again in the South.
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