Fastest growth found in 'red' states

[Jon8503]

By: Haya El Nasser and Paul Overberg, USA TODAY
Robust population growth continues to sweep the nation's Southern and Western states, according to estimates released Wednesday by the Census Bureau.

If the trend continues at its current pace, states in the Northeast and Midwest that have been population powerhouses since the 19th century will lose their dominance to Sun Belt states by 2010. (Related chart: Population and population trends by state)

New York, now the third most populous state, will likely be overtaken by Florida in five years. New Jersey, the 10th-largest state, could be passed by North Carolina in three.

"By 2010, none of the three most populous states will be in the North," says Robert Lang, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech.

The USA's population on July 1 was 293.7 million, up 1%

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2004-12-22-sun-belt_x.htm