Population distribution of the United States

¶ … Population distribution [...] several aspects of the United States population distribution, and how the population may change in the next five to ten years. Population distribution in the U.S. is an interesting mix, with most people living in the urban centers of the nation, but enough still living in the heartland and western arid areas to make the population diverse and spread out.

The population of the United States in mid-2004 was 293,633,000. The population distribution of the United States, in general terms, is located mainly along the coastlines, with the interior of the country being less populated than the East, West, and Gulf Coasts. In fact, the Population Research Bureau notes, "More than half the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coastal shoreline" (Editors). This also holds true with the Great Lakes region and along the Mississippi River. Population centers such as Detroit and Chicago are located along the coastlines of the Great Lakes, and centers such as Saint Louis are located along the Mississippi. Generally, distribution is heaviest East of the Mississippi, and then there is a wider gap until reaching the West Coast and desert southwest. While the population density of the U.S. is only 79 people per square mile, this statistic does not give an adequate picture of the population distribution, because there is so much of the country that is inhabitable because of terrain, inhospitality, or bodies of water. In addition, 79% of American people live in urban centers, which means only 21% live in the rural areas of the country.

The population distribution exists as it does for a number of reasons. First, there is much uninhabitable terrain in the United States, such as mountain ranges, deserts, and vast sagebrush high desert, which is difficult to live on and develop. Water is an issue in many of these areas; there simply is not enough water or rainfall to sustain growth and development. In addition, early cities grew up where travel and exporting and importing were the easiest, and this is why so many cities lie close to the coastline. Cities are dependent on trade to survive, and trade is easiest were access is also easy. Population is heaviest in the South, 35% of the entire U.S. population lives there. The Midwest has 23% of the population, the West has 22%, and the Northeast has 19% (Editors).

It is easy to see why much of the western U.S. is excluded from large populations. Travel is difficult because of long distances between areas, there are the Rocky Mountains to contend with, and much of the area is desert or high desert, so it receives little rainfall and there is little chance to exploit the area. The exceptions are cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, and others that have access to water from aqueducts or pipelines. These areas have created oases in the desert by bringing in water from other areas. Other places, like Wyoming, which only has about 500,000 people in the entire state, which is less than many cities, is so large and difficult to traverse it is difficult to maintain a large population base there.

The projected population for the United States in the year 2025 is 349,419,000. 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, so it will be interesting to see what the breaking point is, and when these burgeoning cities can no longer handle the continual growth they are experiencing today. 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.