The U.S. Census Bureau has released its 2016 population estimates for U.S. counties and metro areas. Michigan was, again, notable for high decline in one place: Wayne County.
When considering raw numbers, Wayne County saw the second-largest population decline of any county in the nation at 7,696 people (Illinois’ Cook County saw the biggest decline). This is the second year that Wayne County has held the second-place title. It was first in the nation for population decline for a full eight years before that.
Kent County added 6,078 people to its population last year, the most in the state. Grand Rapids continued to grow more than any other metro area, with 8,762 new residents.
How does Michigan compare to other states?
- Births: Michigan saw 11.4 births per 1,000 residents. That puts our birth rate at 40th in the nation. Utah’s is 1st, at 17 per 1,000.
- Deaths: We rank 15th in the nation for death rate, at 9.5 per 1,000. West Virginia’s is number one, at 12.2 per 1,000.
- Domestic Migration: More people left Michigan for other states than arrived from them – our domestic net migration rate is -2.8 per 1,000. Oregon leads the nation here, with a net influx of 12.3 per 1,000.
- International Migration: Our net international migration rate, at 2.3 per 1,000, is 21st in the nation. The District of Columbia’s is the highest, at 6.1 per 1,000.
Mapping Population Changes in Michigan
The interactive map below shows population change by county per 1,000 residents. Click on a county to see total population changes, as well as birth, death and migration rates over the last year (July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016).
