WASHINGTON — Strapped by the nation’s economic crisis, fewer Americans are migrating to Sun Belt hot spots in Nevada, Arizona and Florida, instead staying put for now in traditional big cities.
Census data to be released today highlight a U.S. population somewhat locked in place by the severe housing downturn and economic recession.
The population figures as of July 2008 show growth slowdowns in once-booming metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tampa, due mostly to a rapid clip of mortgage foreclosures as well as frozen lines of credit that made it harder for out-of- staters to move in.
As a result, rust-belt metro areas such as Buffalo, N.Y., Pittsburgh and Cleveland stanched some population losses, and Boston, Los Angeles and New York saw gains. Well-to-do exurbs around Washington, D.C., saw growth slowdowns as people weary of costly commutes moved closer to federal jobs in the nation’s capital.
Despite slowing migration, the South and West continued to account for the most growth from 2007 to 2008.
Metro areas registering the biggest numerical gains were Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.
Despite housing slowdowns in 2008, Phoenix and Atlanta ranked third and fourth in growth, respectively, followed by Los Angeles.
