BURLINGTON, Vt. – New England states, including Vermont, had the slowest growth in housing in the country between 2000 and 2004, according to information released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Housing in Vermont increased 3.4 percent during that time. New Hampshire saw the greatest increase at 5.2 percent; Rhode Island had the smallest increase, 1.5 percent.

The statistics show that people are flocking to the sun, the beach and the mountains – fleeing states in the Rust Belt and New England.

Nevada experienced the greatest increase in housing with 18 percent; the District of Columbia had the smallest increase with 0.6 percent.

The information comes less than a month after another U.S. Census Bureau report showed population falling in the Northern states and increasing in the Western and Southern states.

Only Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada and Utah recorded double-digit increases in the number of housing units during that period.

Midwest states also reported smaller increases, but the New England states reported the smallest growth.

Of the 304,291 housing units in Vermont, 20 percent were in Chittenden County, which saw the largest increase between 2000 and 2004.

Despite modest gains compared with other parts of the nation, a record number of residential building permits were issued in Chittenden County in 2004, according to a report from real estate market analysts Allen & Brooks.

The 918 building permits issued in 2004 represented a 45 percent increase from 2003 and were 29 percent above the 15-year average. Milton issued the most single-family permits; South Burlington the most multifamily permits.

Steven Allen of Allen & Brooks said the amount of available land was the primary driving force in the number of permits issued.