Census Bureau: New Mexico among slowest growing states in past year

According to new data from the US Census Bureau New Mexico’s population growth remained stagnant over the past year despite the State’s ongoing revenue boom thanks to the State’s booming oil and gas industry. As the map below shows only Mississippi, Vermont, and West Virginia are losing population. New Mexico joins Oregon, Wyoming, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Maine as the slowest-growing states in the continental US.

Which states ARE growing? You can see for yourself below. But more importantly, three of the top 10 (Florida, Texas, and Nevada) lack an income tax. Nine of the 10 fastest growing states have “right to work” laws on the books (only Delaware does not). And three of the top 10 border New Mexico (Utah, Texas, and Arizona).

At the Rio Grande Foundation we have emphasized and will continue to work to highlight New Mexico’s policy failures that have caused it to lose its young, working age population. Sadly, nothing of note is being done in Santa Fe to address these issues and make New Mexico a more attractive destination for jobs, economic development, and ultimately young people.