10 



migration turnaround for the nation. In fact, the volume of net inmigra- 

 tion to nonmetropolitan areas from 1970-1976 is already greater than the 

 volume of net outmigration from 1960-1970. Likely reasons for this 

 national net flow into nonmetropolitan areas are discussed later and some 

 implications for the receiving areas are presented. 



In terms of total population change, the Northeast Region was stable 

 from 1970-1976 with only a 1.0 percent increase relative to a national 

 growth of 5.6 percent. Metropolitan population in the Northeast declined 

 by .3 percent during this recent period, a pattern opposite that of metro- 

 politan growth for the nation as a whole. The population residing in 

 nonmetropolitan areas of the Northeast increased from 6,580,000 in 1970 to 

 7,132,000 in 1976, an 8. A percent growth. Nonmetropolitan areas continued 

 the trend of the 1960's with a net gain of 370,000 people from 1970-1976. 

 Net migration data reveal that metropolitan areas in the Region experienced 

 a net outmigration of 1,176,000 persons. 



It is important to compare the magnitude of the volume of net move- 

 ments from 1970-1976 with the previous ten year period of the 1960's. 

 During the shorter time period of the early 1970' s, the Northeast experi- 

 enced a net migration reversal of -806,000 people compared to the net gain 

 of 344,000 from 1960-1970. This major shift in net migration flows is the 

 result of heavy net outmigration from metropolitan areas. The Region would 

 have declined in total population from 1970-1976 if natural increase had 

 not exceeded the losses due to net outmigration. 



On a state basis within the Northeast, all states except Rhode Island 

 and New York increased in population size from 1970 to 1976, with the most 

 rapidly growing populations located in the Northern New England states. 

 Growth patterns of metropolitan populations of the states are mixed, with 

 the most populous states of New York and Pennsylvania reporting declines 

 which are responsible for the total Regional decline. However, the remain- 

 ing five states experienced metropolitan population increase, with New 

 Hampshire growing most rapidly at 13.5 percent from 1970 to 1976. 



The nonmetropolitan population increased in all states in the Northeast 

 Region except Rhode Island and the volume and percentage of this growth 

 was substantial. New Jersey, for example, increased from 415,000 persons 

 in nonmetropolitan areas in 1970 to 565,000 by 1976 for a 36.1 percent 

 increase. All of the Northern New England states increased their non- 

 metropolitan population and Massachusetts recorded a 29.2 percent growth in 

 this residential category. 



The data for net migration during the early 1970' s reveal that all the 

 Northeastern states except Rhode Island experienced a net inraigration to 

 their nonmetropolitan areas. This pattern represents a major net migration 

 turnaround for Maine and Pennsylvania, who had net outmigration from these 

 residential areas during the 1960's. The volume of net inmigration in 

 Massachusetts, a net gain of 48,000 persons, is almost twice the volume 

 recorded for the decade of the 1960's. 



In sununary, these data clearly show that nonmetropolitan population 

 growth and net inmigration to these areas has continued during the 1970 to 

 1976 period for the Northeast Region. Unlike the rest of the United States, 

 this pattern of growth and net flows to nonmetropolitan areas spans a 

 period from at least 1960 and will likely continue throughout the rest of 

 this decade. A basic implication is that the Northeast Region does not 

 face a problem of total population growth but rather a differential problem 

 of metropolitan population stability concomitant with rapid growth of the 

 nonmetropolitan population. If the volume of births in the metropolitan 

 Northeast continues to decline while deaths remain stable, the Region may 

 not be able to offset the large volume of net outmigration and experience 

 a decline in metropolitan populations by 1980. 



