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Page | 7 MN STATE DEMOGRAPHIC CENTER JANUARY 2015
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<br />International migration tells a different story, with Minnesota being a long sought-after destination for
<br />immigrants of many varying backgrounds. Over the past two and a half decades, Minnesota’s net international
<br />migration has been unfailingly positive. The total number of people the state gained from other countries
<br />averaged about 6,000 annually during the 1990s, and rose considerably during the 2000s and up to the present.
<br />Since 2010, the number of people Minnesota gained, on net, from other countries has averaged 12,000 annually.
<br />The growth in international migration has more than compensated for the recent losses the state has
<br />experienced to other states. However, our domestic losses continue to dampen the overall positive impact of
<br />migration on population growth, and raise many questions about what may be responsible for the trend.
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<br />Migration Patterns: Comparison With Other States Since 2010
<br />A net loss of people to other states is not unusual for states located in the Midwest region3 of the U.S. Between
<br />the 2010 Census count and the 2014 population estimate4, North Dakota and South Dakota were the only
<br />Midwestern states to experience positive rates of domestic migration, while Minnesota and the other nine states
<br />in the region saw domestic losses (see Table 1). North Dakota added more than 43,000 residents relocating
<br />from other states, while South Dakota received about 12,000 new domestic migrants. However, due to its
<br />significant off-setting international arrivals, Minnesota ranked second only to oil-rich North Dakota in total net
<br />migration, edging out South Dakota despite its domestic magnetism.
<br />Setting aside the two Dakotas, Minnesota’s
<br />observed pattern of negative domestic
<br />migration, but positive international migration
<br />since 2010 holds for all other states in the
<br />Midwest. Illinois is the most extreme case on
<br />both counts, losing about 319,000 domestic
<br />migrants, while gaining nearly 129,000
<br />residents from international destinations since
<br />the last decennial Census. (Put together, this
<br />resulted in total out-migration from Illinois of
<br />more than 190,000 residents, the greatest
<br />reduction in population from migration
<br />among all states.) In sum, the Midwest states
<br />lost about 729,000 domestic residents during
<br />the past four years, while gaining about
<br />513,000 from international migration, for a
<br />total net loss of 215,000 residents total from
<br />migration.
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<br />3 The Census Bureau defines the “Midwest region” as comprising the following 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
<br />Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. We have adopted this definition throughout this report.
<br />4 The reference date of the 2010 Census is April 1, while the reference date of the 2014 population estimate is July 1.
<br />State Total International Domestic
<br />North Dakota 48,900 5,500 43,300
<br />Minnesota 31,100 56,200 -25,200
<br />South Dakota 18,000 6,000 12,100
<br />Iowa 16,900 21,400 -4,600
<br />Nebraska 10,000 15,500 -5,400
<br />Indiana 8,400 42,000 -33,600
<br />Missouri -8,000 35,500 -43,500
<br />Wisconsin -11,300 26,100 -37,400
<br />Kansas -15,300 24,900 -40,200
<br />Ohio -51,000 71,100 -122,000
<br />Michigan -72,700 80,500 -153,200
<br />Illinois -190,100 128,800 -319,000
<br />Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 Population Estimates. Note: Domestic plus international figures may not equal
<br />totals due to rounding and a “residual,” the result of controlling county populations to the national population for
<br />the entire set of estimates.
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<br />Table 1: Net Migration, Midwestern States,
<br />April 1, 2010 - July 1, 2014
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