Pew: New Mexico population growth slowest in the Western US

The Pew Center on the States does great work tracking American patterns of population growth. Their most recent report is worth a close look for New Mexicans and elected officials in the state.

You can see from the map below that New Mexico’s low population rate since 2008 lags the nation as a whole.

What is truly stunning, however, is that New Mexico actually lags every state West of Kansas in population growth over the 15 year time span considered.

Perhaps the scariest thing Pew considers is their projection that by 2040 New Mexico is expected to see a net population decline. New Mexico is not the only state projected to begin losing population by 2040, but we ARE the only state West of the Mississippi projected to do that. Of course, the future is not set in stone. New Mexico COULD use its oil and gas wealth to bring long-overdue policy changes to the State. But, we need change in the Legislature to make it happen.