North Dakota saw the largest growth in population among all 50 states in the first half of 2015, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Roughrider State saw a 2.28 percent jump in its population last year, the biggest increase in the country. The booming shale oil industry in North Dakota was a major reason for why so many moved there. That trend may slow in the future as the worldwide drop in oil prices has slowed shale development.
At the opposite end of the spectrum was West Virginia whose population decreased 0.25 percent. It was one of seven states whose populations dropped in the first six months of last year. The Mountaineer State’s troubled coal industry may have contributed to an overall dreary economic climate that also sent some packing.
America’s collective population grew 0.79 percent in the past year.
