New York set to Trail Florida in Population

New York Times writer Jesse McKinley writes, “New York, whose status as the most populous state has long been ceded, will soon fall behind Florida into fourth place, a long-anticipated drop that is rife with symbolism and that could carry potentially serious economic consequences in coming years.”

“When the Census Bureau releases its latest population estimates on Monday, demographers expect that Florida and New York will be narrowly separated — perhaps by as little as a few thousand people — and that if Florida does not pass New York this time, it almost certainly will do so in 2014,” notes McKinley. Read more.

The Miami Herald reports, “If Florida surpassed New York in the near future, it wouldn’t be a surprise,” said Stan Smith, director of the Population Program in the University of Florida’s Bureau of of Economic and Business Research. “We’ve been gaining on New York for a long time.”

Andrew Beveridge, a Census expert and Queens College professor, said Florida’s ascent was inevitable: “If it hadn’t been for the financial crisis, Florida probably would have already passed New York.” Read more.

Florida gained three seats in Congress after the 2010 Census (see map below). If this trend continues, it may pick up more seats in 2020?