via NPR Planet Money

The U.S. population grew by nearly 10 percent between 2000 and 2010. But that varied widely from state to state. Here’s a map, based on numbers from the Census Bureau.



As the map shows, the country continued its long shift to the South and West.

Michigan, where the population fell by 0.6 percent, was the only state that actually shrank during the decade. But population growth lagged the national average in much of the Northeast and the Upper Midwest.

Several states out West, on the other hand, grew by more than 20 percent. Nevada, where the population expanded by 35 percent grew the most. That growth was driven by a cycle where a rising population fed a housing boom, which in turn attracted more people.

But since the housing bubble burst, Nevada has struggled. For more than a year, the state has had the highest unemployment rate in the country. Unemployment in Nevada is now over 13.4 percent.

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