Dec. 27, 2007

New population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that Michigan's population has decreased by 30,500 from 2006 to 2007.  Michigan remains the nation's eighth-largest state with a population of 10,071,822.

"Although Michigan's net out-migration is up, it is not the highest in the nation and not nearly as high as it was in the 1980's," said State Demographer Ken Darga.  "Our share of the nation's population is down, but only by about the same amount as the decrease from 2005 to 2006."

According to the new estimates, Michigan had the nation's third-highest rate of net domestic out-migration in 2007, surpassed only by New York and Rhode Island.  Michigan has the nation's seventh-highest rate for the entire period since the 2000 Census, surpassed by New York, the District of Columbia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Illinois.

A chart showing Michigan's net migration from 1960 through 2007 is available online at www.michigan.gov/census.

Michigan had 3.34 percent of the nation's estimated population in 2007, which is down from 3.38 percent in 2006 and 3.53 percent in the 2000 Census.

Michigan's share of the nation's population for 2007 is lower than in 2006 because of significant population loss through migration.  According to Darga, other factors contributing to lower growth in Michigan than the U.S. as a whole include a lower birth rate, a lower rate of immigration from other countries, and a larger number of military personnel who are stationed in other states.

"The new figures reflect several methodological changes as well, and the good news for Michigan is that these changes raised our estimated population slightly while reducing the estimates for most other states," Darga said.

The methodological changes reduced the nation's estimated population for 2006 by 0.2 percent, but they increased Michigan's figure for 2006 by 0.1 percent.  These changes raised Michigan's share of the nation's population for 2006 from 3.37 to 3.38 percent.

The methodological changes include:
 
-Decreasing the estimates of immigration into the U.S. from abroad.  This reduces Michigan's estimated population, but it actually increases its share of the national population because Michigan receives only a small proportion of the nation's immigrants.

-Increasing Michigan's estimated 2006 population by over 45,000 due to a challenge to last year's figures by the city of Detroit.   This raises Michigan's total population and increases its rate of population gain from 2000 through 2006.  However, it does not affect the size of Michigan's estimated loss from 2006 to 2007.

-Measuring domestic migration by matching individual exemptions on federal income tax returns for successive years, rather than matching tax returns for only the principal filer.  This increases the number of college students, military personnel, and people who leave their family home for other reasons who are identified as migrants.  This decreases Michigan's share of the nation's population, since Michigan does not have large military bases and since its private universities attract fewer students from other states than private universities elsewhere attract from Michigan.

-Correcting a problem in the procedure for reconciling state birth and death statistics with national totals.

More detail about the new estimates is available on the Department of History, Arts and Libraries' census Web site at www.michigan.gov/census.  Additional materials developed by the Library of Michigan and affiliated organizations of the state data center network are routinely added to this Web site as they become available.

The Library of Michigan is part of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).  Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Historical Center.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).