12.21.11

Hoeven: State's Record Population Growth Affirms North Dakota's Pro-Jobs Strategy

State is Sixth Fastest Growing in Nation Since 2010

BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today said the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 state population estimate affirms the effectiveness of North Dakota’s pro-jobs strategy to build the state. The estimate shows that North Dakota has grown by 50,000 people since 2003, to a record 683,932 residents, exceeding the last population record set in 1930 when the state had 680,845 residents. 

            “Over the past decade, we have worked on every level to build the kind of legal, tax and regulatory environment that would draw private-sector investment and create the jobs of the future,” Hoeven said. “Today’s Census Bureau estimate reaffirms that the best way to attract and retain people in our state is with a growing economy and jobs, as well as an outstanding quality of life.” 

            North Dakota was losing population annually, reaching a decade low of 632,809 people in 2003. By contrast, the state has grown population in seven of the last eight years, and today is the sixth fastest growing state in the country. North Dakota added an additional 11,341 residents since the 2010 official census count, which showed Cass, Burleigh and Mountrail as the three fastest growing counties in the state, reflecting statewide population growth.