Current Population Trends in the South

Important patterns in the changing population of the South in the last decade show a growing heterogeneity of the southern population. The southern population is increasing slower than the national population, but it is converging with the national patterns in many respects. Migration caused a redistribution of the South's population between states and between residence groups. General increases occurred in the urban and rural nonfarm populations in number of females working, in number of professional people, in urban fringe population, in school enrollment, and in educational levels achieved. Net out migration was the major factor in the decline in the South's total population. If the age-sex-color specific rates of migration and natural increase of the 1950's continue, the population of the South will increase 14.8 percent during the 1960's as compared with an expected national increase of 17.4 percent.