Thread: 1 in 3 US Counties Dying

Census Shows Immigration Helps, But 1 in 3 US Counties Still Dying

Published March 14, 2013
Fox News Latino

• 
  FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2011, file photo, a coal truck drives out of downtown Welch, W.Va.
• A record number of U.S. counties _ more than 1 in 3 _ are now dying off, hit by an aging population and weakened local economies that are spurring young adults to seek jobs elsewhere. New 2012 census estimates highlight the population shifts as the U.S. encounters its most sluggish growth levels since the Great Depression. In the last year, Maine joined West Virginia as the only two entire states where deaths exceed births, which have dropped precipitously after the recent recession. (AP Photo/Jon C. Hancock, File)

Washington – As the evidence mounts for the increasing importance of U.S. foreign-born residents and lawmakers mull comprehensive immigration reform, Census data suggest that a record number of U.S. counties — more than 1 in 3 — are now dying off.

The counties have been hit by an aging population and weakened local economies that are spurring young adults to seek jobs and build families elsewhere.

New 2012 census estimates released Thursday highlight the population shifts as the U.S. encounters its most sluggish growth levels since the Great Depression.

The findings also reflect the increasing economic importance of foreign-born residents as the U.S. ponders an overhaul of a major 1965 federal immigration law. Without new immigrants, many metropolitan areas such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh and St. Louis would have posted flat or negative population growth in the last year.

"Immigrants are innovators, entrepreneurs, they're making things happen. They create jobs," said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, at an immigration conference in his state last week. Saying Michigan should be a top destination for legal immigrants to come and boost Detroit and other struggling areas, Snyder made a special appeal: "Please come here."

Immigration levels are not where they were a decade ago, but their recent uptick demonstrates the important safety valve they can be for areas with stagnating populations.

- William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution

The growing attention on immigrants is coming mostly from areas of the Midwest and Northeast, which are seeing many of their residents leave after years of staying put during the downturn. With a slowly improving U.S. economy, young adults are now back on the move, departing traditional big cities to test the job market mostly in the South and West, which had sustained the biggest hits in the housing bust.

Census data show that 1,135 of the nation's 3,143 counties are now experiencing "natural decrease," where deaths exceed births. That's up from roughly 880 U.S. counties, or 1 in 4, in 2009. Already apparent in Japan and many European nations, natural decrease is now increasingly evident in large swaths of the U.S., much of it rural.

Despite increasing deaths, the U.S. population as a whole continues to grow, boosted by immigration from abroad and relatively higher births among the mostly younger migrants from Mexico, Latin America and Asia.

"These counties are in a pretty steep downward spiral," said Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer and sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire, who researched the findings. "The young people leave and the older adults stay in place and age. Unless something dramatic changes — for instance, new development such as a meatpacking plant to attract young Hispanics — these areas are likely to have more and more natural decrease."

The areas of natural decrease stretch from industrial areas near Pittsburgh and Cleveland to the vineyards outside San Francisco to the rural areas of east Texas and the Great Plains.

A common theme is a waning local economy, such as farming, mining or industrial areas of the Rust Belt. They also include some retirement communities in Florida, although many are cushioned by a steady flow of new retirees each year.

In the last year, Maine joined West Virginia as the only two entire states where deaths exceed births, which have dropped precipitously after the recent recession. As a nation, the U.S. population grew by just 0.75 percent last year, stuck at historically low levels not seen since 1937.

Johnson said the number of dying counties is rising not only because of fewer births but also increasing mortality as 70 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 move into their older years. "I expect natural decrease to remain high in the future," he said.

Among the 20 fastest-growing large metropolitan areas last year, 16 grew faster than in 2011 and most of them are located in previously growing parts of the Sun Belt or Mountain West. Among the slowest-growing or declining metropolitan areas, most are now doing worse than in 2011 and they are all located in the Northeast and Midwest.

New York ranks tops in new immigrants among large metro areas, but also ranks at the top for young residents moving away.

In contrast, the Texas metropolitan areas of Dallas, Houston and Austin continued to be big draws for young adults, ranking first, second and fourth among large metro areas in domestic migration due to diversified economies that include oil and gas production. Phoenix, Las Vegas and Orlando also saw gains.

By region, growth in the Northeast slowed last year to 0.3 percent, the lowest since 2007; in the Midwest, growth dipped to 0.25 percent, the lowest in at least a decade. In the South and West, growth rates ticked up to 1.1 percent and 1.04 percent, respectively.

"The brakes that were put on migration during the Great Recession appear to be easing up," said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution who analyzed the migration data. "Native migrants are becoming more 'footloose' — following the geographic ups and downs of the labor market — than are immigrants, who have tended to locate in established ethnic communities in big cities."

"Immigration levels are not where they were a decade ago, but their recent uptick demonstrates the important safety valve they can be for areas with stagnating populations," he said.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/new...s-still-dying/

Modest growth as California population hits 37.8 MILLION
12/13/2012
============================================

New York saw the biggest net loss of residents to other states — almost 116,000.

Illinois had the second-largest net outflow of residents, with about 73,500 more people migrating out of the state than moving into it.

More people moving to U.S. - Los Angeles Times

RELATED

Bucking trend, more people move to New York City than leave

http://www.alipac.us/f19/bucking-tre...-leave-274408/

Instead of flooding America with immigrants and illegal aliens, we should allow the childbirth markets to adjust here in the US and focus our attention on why American couples are not gaining the social, financial, and emotional stability combined with enough confidence in the future to have enough children.

We should be helping our citizens to thrive and survive instead of burying them under more waves of people from abroad that are just going to make Americans less able to afford or desire children.

I want to see more American children born, not more immigration!

W

Most Americans are too sickly from poor diets, foods pumped full of chemicals and antibiotics and environmental pollution to be able to procreate. Plus, Americans don't "get paid" with kickbacks and "special programs" that are available to illegals who have children. Americans have to pay for their own medical treatments and education. THey can't afford to grow their families, too busy subsidizing the lives of illegal aliens.

Mostly, rural counties are dying because young people are moving to the big cities in other counties, and old people don't make babies.

The counties have been hit by an aging population and weakened local economies that are spurring young adults to seek jobs and build families elsewhere.

Alabama's Jefferson County will within two or three months file a workout plan that calls for reducing the bankrupt local government's $4.23 billion of debts by more than $1 billion,

http://www.alipac.us/f19/bankrupt-al...illion-274583/

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Census Shows Immigration Helps, But 1 in 3 US Counties Still Dying

Published March 14, 2013
Fox News Latino

• 
  FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2011, file photo, a coal truck drives out of downtown Welch, W.Va. A record number of U.S. counties _ more than 1 in 3 _ are now dying off, hit by an aging population and weakened local economies that are spurring young adults to seek jobs elsewhere. New 2012 census estimates highlight the population shifts as the U.S. encounters its most sluggish growth levels since the Great Depression. In the last year, Maine joined West Virginia as the only two entire states where deaths exceed births, which have dropped precipitously after the recent recession. (AP Photo/Jon C. Hancock, File)

Washington – As the evidence mounts for the increasing importance of U.S. foreign-born residents and lawmakers mull comprehensive immigration reform, Census data suggest that a record number of U.S. counties — more than 1 in 3 — are now dying off.
The counties have been hit by an aging population and weakened local economies that are spurring young adults to seek jobs and build families elsewhere.
New 2012 census estimates released Thursday highlight the population shifts as the U.S. encounters its most sluggish growth levels since the Great Depression.
The findings also reflect the increasing economic importance of foreign-born residents as the U.S. ponders an overhaul of a major 1965 federal immigration law. Without new immigrants, many metropolitan areas such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh and St. Louis would have posted flat or negative population growth in the last year.
"Immigrants are innovators, entrepreneurs, they're making things happen. They create jobs," said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, at an immigration conference in his state last week. Saying Michigan should be a top destination for legal immigrants to come and boost Detroit and other struggling areas, Snyder made a special appeal: "Please come here."

Immigration levels are not where they were a decade ago, but their recent uptick demonstrates the important safety valve they can be for areas with stagnating populations.

- William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution

The growing attention on immigrants is coming mostly from areas of the Midwest and Northeast, which are seeing many of their residents leave after years of staying put during the downturn. With a slowly improving U.S. economy, young adults are now back on the move, departing traditional big cities to test the job market mostly in the South and West, which had sustained the biggest hits in the housing bust.
Census data show that 1,135 of the nation's 3,143 counties are now experiencing "natural decrease," where deaths exceed births. That's up from roughly 880 U.S. counties, or 1 in 4, in 2009. Already apparent in Japan and many European nations, natural decrease is now increasingly evident in large swaths of the U.S., much of it rural.
Despite increasing deaths, the U.S. population as a whole continues to grow, boosted by immigration from abroad and relatively higher births among the mostly younger migrants from Mexico, Latin America and Asia.
"These counties are in a pretty steep downward spiral," said Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer and sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire, who researched the findings. "The young people leave and the older adults stay in place and age. Unless something dramatic changes — for instance, new development such as a meatpacking plant to attract young Hispanics — these areas are likely to have more and more natural decrease."
The areas of natural decrease stretch from industrial areas near Pittsburgh and Cleveland to the vineyards outside San Francisco to the rural areas of east Texas and the Great Plains. A common theme is a waning local economy, such as farming, mining or industrial areas of the Rust Belt. They also include some retirement communities in Florida, although many are cushioned by a steady flow of new retirees each year.
In the last year, Maine joined West Virginia as the only two entire states where deaths exceed births, which have dropped precipitously after the recent recession. As a nation, the U.S. population grew by just 0.75 percent last year, stuck at historically low levels not seen since 1937.
Johnson said the number of dying counties is rising not only because of fewer births but also increasing mortality as 70 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 move into their older years. "I expect natural decrease to remain high in the future," he said.
Among the 20 fastest-growing large metropolitan areas last year, 16 grew faster than in 2011 and most of them are located in previously growing parts of the Sun Belt or Mountain West. Among the slowest-growing or declining metropolitan areas, most are now doing worse than in 2011 and they are all located in the Northeast and Midwest.
New York ranks tops in new immigrants among large metro areas, but also ranks at the top for young residents moving away.
In contrast, the Texas metropolitan areas of Dallas, Houston and Austin continued to be big draws for young adults, ranking first, second and fourth among large metro areas in domestic migration due to diversified economies that include oil and gas production. Phoenix, Las Vegas and Orlando also saw gains.
By region, growth in the Northeast slowed last year to 0.3 percent, the lowest since 2007; in the Midwest, growth dipped to 0.25 percent, the lowest in at least a decade. In the South and West, growth rates ticked up to 1.1 percent and 1.04 percent, respectively.
"The brakes that were put on migration during the Great Recession appear to be easing up," said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution who analyzed the migration data. "Native migrants are becoming more 'footloose' — following the geographic ups and downs of the labor market — than are immigrants, who have tended to locate in established ethnic communities in big cities."
"Immigration levels are not where they were a decade ago, but their recent uptick demonstrates the important safety valve they can be for areas with stagnating populations," he said.
Based on reporting by the Associated Press.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2013/03/14/census-shows-immigration-helps-but-1-in-3-us-counties-still-dying/

So what if counties are losing population? There's nothing wrong with that. Small rural counties have always faced that problem when they lost their industry that employed a good portion of their young people. It takes less workers to work the farms, and with this massive immigration, immigrants are taking all of that work that a lot of young people used to do. Most young people want to move to where jobs and opportunities are, where there are activities and interesting and fun things to do. This is not a problem, it's just a characteristic. The United States will never die off because Americans move around from one place to another, and Americans will never be extinct unless we stop this massive foreign born immigration both legal and illegal that at the current numbers is the only thing on the verge of wiping US out.

So relax! There is nothing wrong with declining populations. We have too many people already, so we need a decline, and the decline we need is a massive decline in immigration.

And remember this, it isn't Americans who are worried about declining population, it's the stupid governments who want more people so they can spend more money and keep their otherwise useless government jobs. So tell your Mayors and County Commissioners and Governors and Congresscritters not to worry about declining population, it's a good thing when you don't have enough jobs for your residents. Also tell them, if you want people to stay or move in to your area, then you need more industry. And good luck with that unless we pass the FairTax, because the industries are all leaving if you haven't noticed and taking all their jobs, investment and technology with them to other parts of the world to avoid the US income tax and local property taxes.

So you should also be looking at how to improve your area by passing state and local FairTaxes and eliminating all your state income and local property taxes. Then you'll be in sync with the FairTax when it passes.

The FairTax legislation is HR 25 in the US House of Representatives and S 155 in the US Senate.

This legislation brings our industries home where they belong and when they along with the $14 trillion of private capital now stored offshore come roaring home, you'll not only see a massive increase in good jobs, you'll see our population move around again to work at them and many of them will be looking hard at small rural locations for their operations.

Until then, just suck it up, but under no circumstance use poverty-stricken immigration to fill the population void because you don't have the money to support these people and your comrades in other locations around the country paying federal income taxes to support your poor don't either. That's why we have an $18 trillion and growing national debt.

Wake Up and take responsibility for yourselves. Stand up and demand passage of the FairTax to bring our industries, investment and technology back home where they belong.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Mostly, rural counties are dying because young people are moving to the big cities in other counties, and old people don't make babies.

Old people aren't supposed to make babies. Even young people without jobs aren't supposed to make babies. Rural counties lose population when they lose industry. America loses industry because of the income tax. Get rid of the income tax, bring industry back to the United States, and many of these operations will be seeking nice small rural towns to locate their manufacturing operations, will hire hundreds of people and offer the good jobs with good manufacturing wages and very nice benefits. Then many of the young people will stay and has been the trend since before our country was formed, people move to the areas where there are new plants opening up to work the new jobs that were created.

Something else one needs to know or remember as the case may be is that when we create 1 new manufacturing job, 5 other jobs are created elsewhere in that state economy, some local, some regional and some throughout the state, because the multiplier effect of new manufacturing operations is 6 to 1. Industry is our economic foundation. Our country can not survive or sustain itself as a "service economy". Certain places like Singapore can do that, but not our vast United States. The American Economy is totally dependent on production, we are a production-based economy, so without our industries we fail economically. Therefore, we must take every step to bring our industries back home, starting with passing the FairTax.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

The counties have been hit by an aging population and weakened local economies that are spurring young adults to seek jobs and build families elsewhere.

The movement to cities is probably just a result of jobs being more plentiful there. Unfortunately Americans come into competition with immigrants and illegal aliens who are willing to work for less and who will crowd into spaces which Americans would find stultifying.

There is much to be said for open space. God knows the Continental Europeans can use some.

Americans sometimes seem fixated on growth. Well, cancerous tumors grow, too. I haven't heard anybody say that that is a good thing.

Some outsourced jobs are returning to the United States, as manufacturers learn that the savings produced by outsourcing are not as large as we once thought.
********************************
Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade