U.S. Population Hit 300 Million Milestone

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. population hit 300 million this month and all those people must live somewhere.

The Census Bureau expects a surge in the country's population to 400 million during the next 35 years, with immigrants accounting for most of those newcomers. With about
86 people per square mile nationwide now, the U.S. would seem to have plenty of room for more, but where will these new Americans live?

As it grows, the population is increasingly concentrated in just a dozen states, and the heartland in states like North Dakota, Ohio, Michigan, Kansas and Nebraska are either losing population or just staying even.

The Center for Environment and Population, a nonpartisan research group, calculates that more than half the population lives within 50 miles of the coasts, and half of these new residents will join them. But other areas with reasonable housing costs will become a draw, and there's some sign that's already happening. The foreign-born population of Tennessee is up 140 percent in the past five years, while Idaho and Utah grew by 10 percent -- twice the rate of the U.S. generally.

Source: The Wall Street Journal