ALBANY—New York State lost a net 225,000 residents in moves to and from other states during the year ending in July 2006, according to new Census data. The losses amount to 12 persons for every thousand New Yorkers, and the total exceeds the population of New York’s third-largest city, Rochester.

Only California and Louisiana experienced higher net loss from internal migration, the Census Bureau data show. Texas gained 218,745 through internal migration during the same time period, the highest gain in the nation.

New York is still a popular destination for international immigrants. Nearly 125,000 immigrants made New York their home between July 2005 and July 2006 – the third highest number in the country and nearly 10 percent of all internationals who immigrated to the United States during that time period.

The Empire State remained the third most populous state in the nation during the period, despite a population drop of .05 percent, or 10,000 residents, the Census Bureau data show.

Only Michigan, Louisiana, and Rhode Island experienced a greater drop during the same time period. Other northern, industrial states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania grew slightly.

Florida’s population increased 1.81 percent between July 2005 and July 2006 – nearly twice the national average of .98 percent. The Sunshine State, now the fourth most populous state in the U.S., gained 265,000 in net internal migration during the same period.

Arizona’s population increased 3.58 percent between 2005 and 2006 – the largest increase in the country.

The Census Bureau projects that by 2030 Florida will have a population exceeding 28 million. The same projection puts New York's population at 19.4 million – only slightly larger than today’s 19.3 million.

The Census Bureau data are available at www.census.gov/popest/datasets.html.

July 2005 - July 2006 Population Growth