ND grew 3 times faster than rest of nation

Getty Images: File. North Dakota Population: File Photo of a North Dakota Sign. IMAGE

12/20/12

Only two states saw their populations decline in the past year: Rhode Island and Vermont, according to the Census Bureau.

North Dakota's population grew faster than that of any other state in the year to July as the oil production boom that has transformed its economy continued to draw people, the Census Bureau said on Thursday.

The bureau said North Dakota's population grew nearly 2.2 percent between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012 — nearly three times faster than the nation as a whole.

But North Dakota's population of 699,628 remains smaller than every other state except Vermont and Wyoming.

Texas gained more new residents than any other state during the year, the bureau said. The state added 427,400 people in the year to July 1, 2012, a 1.7 percent year-over-year increase.

The overall population of the United States grew 0.75 percent during the year, the Census Bureau said, increasing by 2.3 million to 313.9 million.

Only two states — Rhode Island and Vermont — lost population during the period, the Census Bureau said.

California remained the most populous state in the country with 38 million people, the Census Bureau said, followed by Texas (26.1 million), New York (19.6 million), Florida (19.3 million) and Illinois (12.9 million).

(Reporting by James B. Kelleher.)

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