Internal Migration Resumes

The Pew Charitable Trusts report demographic trends for the U.S. The pre-recession trends have resumed.

Census population estimates show that the 16 states and the District of Columbia that comprise the South saw an increase of almost 1.4 million people between 2014 and 2015. The 13 states in the West grew by about 866,000 people.

In comparison, population growth in the Northeast and the Midwest — including what’s known as the Snow Belt — remained sluggish, growing by about 258,000 residents combined.

If you deduct the rapid population gain in North Dakota, due to oil exploration, the Midwest and Northeast would show no growth at all.