a story without end: western states continue to enjoy population and economic boom, says report

Four Western states, including Arizona, are ranked as the top ten states in the nation for economic growth, according to an Arlington, Virginia-based think tank.

The other states are Utah, Idaho, and Nevada.

The bottom ten states, says the Rich States, Poor States 2019 report issued by the American Legislative Exchange Council, are primarily made up of states along the East coast, as well as Oregon, Hawaii, California, and Illinois.

Colorado was positioned at 15 on the list, with New Mexico holding the 35th slot.

The rankings are fueled to a great degree by migration patterns, with the report noting that in the last decade New York has experienced a drain of more than 1.3 million residents, while California is down by nearly 800,000 residents, and Illinois has seen a population decline of around 783,000 people.

Pointing to what it says are “anti-growth policies rampant in the Northeast,” the report says the big winners in job competition and growth have “generally been Western states as well as a few in the South.”

“Over the last 40 years, domestic flight from the Northeast to the Sunbelt, Southeastern, and Mountain states has grown to resemble a stampede,” the report continues, noting also that states in the South and West are increasingly “amassing companies fleeing the Northeast.”

The report pinpoints the largest reason for the Southern and Western migration, besides more appealing weather, as lower business and personal income tax rates.

Of the growing Western states, says the report, Arizona has seen 372,000 new residents between 2007 and 2016; while Colorado has charted over 371,500 new residents.

New Mexico, using the years 2006 to 2015, saw a more than 33,000 domestic migration decline.

By Garry Boulard

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