Population rising faster in South and West, census data show:
Southern and Western states could gain House seats while others could lose a few in 2020, census data suggest.By Michael A. Memoli
December 30, 2013, 9:14 p.m.WASHINGTON — Population growth in Southern and Western states, led by Texas, California and Florida, accounted for more than 80% of new residents nationwide over the last three years, surpassing the Northeast and Midwest in the demographic contest that plays a key role in determining states' political clout, census data released Monday show.
If states continue to grow at the same pace for the rest of the decade, Texas could gain three more congressional seats in 2020, according to a Times analysis of the Census Bureau figures. Florida, North Carolina, Virginia and Colorado would stand to gain one seat each, while Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota, West Virginia and Rhode Island would lose a seat each.
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The new data reinforce a trend that has seen Southern states' growth outpace that of the Northeast and Midwest. Texas, which gained four seats in the last round of congressional reapportionment, lagged behind only North Dakota and the District of Columbia in the rate of population growth since the 2010 census.
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