New England’s population growth gap widens

BOSTON – The gap between New England’s slow-growing population and the nation’s growth rate widened over the past year, with the United States adding people at a rate five times faster than the region.

New England’s population grew just two-tenths of a percentage point from July 2005 to July of this year, compared with a growth rate of 1 percent for the nation as a whole, according to recently released annual Census Bureau data. While New England’s population rose from 14.24 million to 14.27 million, the nation’s figure rose from 296.4 million to 299.4 million.

New England’s population growth has long trailed the nation’s as more people have headed toward the Southwest and other regions offering sunnier climates, lower living costs and more plentiful jobs.

Annual population growth averaged 1.3 percent for the nation over the past half-century, compared with eight-tenths of a percentage point for New England, according to an October report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s New England Public Policy Center.

The gap widened over the past year as each of the six New England states posted growth rates slower than the nation’s 1 percent. But the outcomes varied from state to state:

. Maine posted population growth of three-tenths of a percentage point, adding 3,354 people for a population of 1.322 million (No. 40).

. Massachusetts, New England’s most populous state, posted a tiny gain in population after losing people in the two previous years – a decline that gave the Bay State the dubious distinction of being the only state with two straight years of declining population in 2004 and 2005. Over the past year, Massachusetts added 3,826 people for a gain of one-tenth of a percentage point, leaving the population at 6.437 million, 13th highest in the nation.

. Rhode Island lost population for the second year in a row, with a decline of 5,969 people, down six-tenths of percentage point compared with a three-tenths of a percentage point decline the previous year. Rhode Island was one of just four states and the District of Columbia to lose population over the past year, but held onto its ranking as the 43rd most populous state with 1.068 million people.

. Connecticut inched ahead with a growth rate of one-tenth of a percentage point, adding 4,108 people for a population of 3.505 million (No. 29).

. New Hampshire has enjoyed stronger population growth than the rest of New England in recent years, and the pattern repeated itself last year. The Granite State added 8,076 people for a growth rate of six-tenths of a percentage point, and a population of 1.315 million (No. 41).

. Vermont posted a gain of two-tenths of a percentage point, adding 1,521 people, for a population of 623,908 (No. 49).

Among all states, Arizona was the population growth leader with a growth rate of 3.6 percent in the past year, followed by Nevada, Idaho, Georgia and Texas.