The Nation - News from Dec. 30, 1988

Population growth in the Midwest appears to be rebounding from a downturn earlier this decade, but Americans continue to favor the West as the place to live, the Census Bureau reported. Parts of the South, especially Florida and Georgia, continued strong population growth, as did the Atlantic states of Delaware and Maryland, the bureau said. Overall, the United States had a 3% increase in population from July 1, 1985, to July 1, 1988, the period measured in the latest estimates. The nation’s total population as of July stood at 245.8 million. During the three years, California, the nation’s largest state, recorded the biggest numerical increase of any state, 1.8 million, or 6.9%. The 12 Midwestern states showed an overall 1.2% increase in population during that time, according to the interim report, which utilizes far less data than the once-a-decade official census.