U.S. Census: North Dakota sees record population, Minnesota growth stalling

(Fargo, ND) -- The U.S. Census Bureau is reporting record population estimates for North Dakota.

Estimates released Thursday show the state's population topped 779-thousand residents as of July 1st. The numbers indicate an increase of more than 43-hundred residents from last year's estimate.

North Dakota is among 32 states that saw an increase in population.

That includes our friends in Minnesota, though despite an increase there is still some concern in the Gopher State.

The report released Thursday shows Minnesota's population growth is stalling. The number of people living in Minnesota grew by about 57-hundred between July 2021 and July 2022.  The increase is an improvement over the previous year's net growth of 16-hundred, but falls far short of typical annual growth of about 35-thousand people.

Minnesota Chamber of Commerce officials say the downward trend in population growth "appears to be accelerating." One of the biggest factors affecting population growth is the number of people leaving the state.