Current trends indicate more people moving into areas such as Las Vegas and the desert southwest. Las Vegas is the fastest growing city in America, and if employment opportunities continue in Nevada because of gaming, there is little reason to see this change in the next five to ten years. However, if water shortages begin in the desert southwest because of too many new residents, then the situation could change. Immigrants can be a large determinant in population distribution. They tend to settle in port, immigration cities, such as San Francisco, Seattle, New York, San Diego, and Miami. "Indeed, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service reports that about 70% of all newly arrived immigrants intend to live in one of just six states: California, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Illinois" (Editors). Therefore, if immigration increases, it would make sense that populations in these states would increase accordingly. In addition, as more people flock to western cities, distribution will flow outward from an established city center to include more of the surrounding areas, including foothills and valleys that are currently undeveloped. This is extremely evident in areas like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and other cities with room to grow. The cities keep expanding outward, taking in rural areas that used to be considered far outside the city limits. Los Angeles and its subsidiary cities reach far east into the Riverside and Ontario areas, and Las Vegas' suburbs can be considered as far away as Pahrump. As cities spread, they will need more infrastructure, more water, and more services,...
If these cities cannot handle the growth, then the distribution may change again, with more people heading to the South, or the Midwest. People will go where the weather is good, housing is available, and there are employment opportunities. When these positive aspects disappear, then people will move on to more convenient and equitable locations. Weather is an important factor in distribution, and it will be interesting to see what the rash of hurricanes in Florida does to distribution. Traditionally a Mecca for retirees, many older people thinking of relocating to Florida for the climate and convenience may find themselves rethinking their decision in the wake of the four hurricanes that decimated the state earlier this year. They may end up retiring somewhere like Arizona, New Mexico, or Nevada instead, so the rash of bad weather could bring even more people into this area in the next few years. The main problem in this area is continuing to provide enough water for the influx in growth, so if the population continues to fill up this area, either water will run out, or costly pipelines and other solutions must be developed. If this is not done, then certainly the water issue must bring an end to continued growth in an area that will not be able to support this growth.
References
Editors. "Data Finder." Population Research Bureau. 2004. 21 Nov. 2004. http://www.prb.org/datafind/datafinder5.htm
