Nonmetropolitan U.S. vs. New Hampshire
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Population Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Nonmetropolitan U.S. vs. New Hampshire
Nonmetropolitan U.S.:
2022 Population = 45,446,945
2022 Percent of State = 13.64%
New Hampshire:
2022 Population = 1,395,231
2022 Percent of U.S. = 0.42%
Attracting and retaining people to live, work, raise a family, and retire underlies the economic vitality of any region. Population growth is both a cause--and a consequence--of economic growth. Patterns of population growth and change reflect differences among regions to attract and retain people both as producers and consumers in their economy.
The following graphs offer a broad overview of trends in the pattern of population growth and change of the Nonmetropolitan U.S. with comparisons to New Hampshire and the nation at large. This analysis features alternative approaches toward discussing, diagnosing and comparing the Nonmetropolitan U.S. vs. New Hampshire's population growth over 1969-2022. The data used are those compiled by the Regional Income and Product Divisions of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Population, 1969-2022
Population, 1969-2022
Figure 1.
Figure 1 tracks the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s and New Hampshire's annual population for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 54-year period, the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s population rose from 35,985,590 in 1969 to 45,446,945 in 2022, for a net gain of 9,461,355, or 26.29%. In comparison, New Hampshire's population advanced from 724,000 in 1969 to 1,395,231 in 2022, for a net advance of 671,231, or 92.71%.
NOTE: The county and state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Population Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Population Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 portrays the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s population growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with New Hampshire, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's population in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the populations in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in population growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
The Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s overall population growth was 26.29% over 1969-2022 trailed New Hampshire's increase of 92.71%, and fell below the United States' increase of 65.57%.
Population as a Percent of the United States Total: 1969-2022
Population as a Percent of the United States Total: 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Another interesting and insightful way of comparing the population growth of the Nonmetropolitan U.S. and New Hampshire is to trace their individual percentage contributions to the United States' total population over time, as shown in Figure 3. A rising share means a region's population grew faster, or declined less, than the United States' population, while a declining share shows they grew more slowly.
In 1969, the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s population comprised 17.88% of the United States' population, while in 2022 it comprised 13.64% thereby yielding a -4.24% share-shift. Similarly, in 1969, New Hampshire's population consisted of 0.36% of the United States' population, while in 2022 it equated to 0.42%, resulting in a +0.06% share-shift.
   
 
Population Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
+0.06%
=
0.42%
-
0.36%
-4.24%
=
13.64%
-
17.88%
 
   
Nonmetropolitan U.S. Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Nonmetropolitan U.S. Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 4.
Figure 4 shows the short-run pattern of the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s population growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 53-year period is also traced on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s population grew at an annual rate of 0.44% over 1970-2022. The Nonmetropolitan U.S. recorded its highest growth in 1971 (1.63%) and recorded its lowest growth in 1986 (-0.35%). In 2022, the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s population grew by 0.12%
Nonmetropolitan U.S. Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Nonmetropolitan U.S. Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Over the past five decades some nonmetropolitan regions have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 5 again shows the annual percent change in the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s population since 1970, but this time they are overlayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s annual population growth rate averaged 1.08%. It averaged 0.18% in the 1980s, 0.77% throughout the 1990s, 0.34% in the 2000s, -0.04% throughout the 2010s, 0.06% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 6.
Figure 6 compares the decade average growth rates for the Nonmetropolitan U.S. noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for New Hampshire and the nation. As the chart reveals, the Nonmetropolitan U.S.'s average annual population growth recorded under New Hampshire's average during the 1970s (1.08% vs. 2.33%), recorded under New Hampshire's average during the 1980s (0.18% vs. 1.94%), fell below New Hampshire's average during the 1990s (0.77% vs. 1.02%), recorded under New Hampshire's average during the 2000s (0.34% vs. 0.75%), lagged New Hampshire's average during the 2010s (-0.04% vs. 0.42%), and fell below New Hampshire's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (0.06% vs. 0.57%).
Finally, relative to nationwide population growth trends, the Nonmetropolitan U.S. posted below the nation during the 1970s (1.08% vs. 1.10%), lagged the nation during the 1980s (0.18% vs. 0.95%), recorded underneath the nation throughout the 1990s (0.77% vs. 1.23%), fell under the nation over the 2000s (0.34% vs. 0.95%), recorded underneath the nation throughout the 2010s (-0.04% vs. 0.74%), and trailed the nation over 2020-2022 (0.06% vs. 0.31%).
   
 
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
0.44
1.08
0.18
0.77
0.34
-0.04
0.06
0.12
 
1.25
2.33
1.94
1.02
0.75
0.42
0.57
0.56
 
0.96
1.10
0.95
1.23
0.95
0.74
0.31
0.38
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Nonmetropolitan U.S.:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
35,985,590
100.0
N
17.88
1970
 
36,124,920
100.4
0.39
17.73
1971
 
36,712,350
102.0
1.63
17.75
1972
 
37,228,635
103.5
1.41
17.79
1973
 
37,569,112
104.4
0.91
17.78
1974
 
37,867,228
105.2
0.79
17.75
1975
 
38,426,052
106.8
1.48
17.83
1976
 
38,867,231
108.0
1.15
17.87
1977
 
39,328,427
109.3
1.19
17.90
1978
 
39,696,963
110.3
0.94
17.87
1979
 
40,083,714
111.4
0.97
17.85
1980
 
40,442,568
112.4
0.90
17.80
1981
 
40,687,591
113.1
0.61
17.73
1982
 
40,918,507
113.7
0.57
17.66
1983
 
41,073,715
114.1
0.38
17.57
1984
 
41,121,527
114.3
0.12
17.44
1985
 
41,047,552
114.1
-0.18
17.25
1986
 
40,904,733
113.7
-0.35
17.03
1987
 
40,796,101
113.4
-0.27
16.84
1988
 
40,778,407
113.3
-0.04
16.68
1989
 
40,796,079
113.4
0.04
16.53
1990
 
40,891,008
113.6
0.23
16.38
1991
 
41,231,374
114.6
0.83
16.30
1992
 
41,619,870
115.7
0.94
16.23
1993
 
42,053,232
116.9
1.04
16.18
1994
 
42,468,376
118.0
0.99
16.14
1995
 
42,907,893
119.2
1.03
16.11
1996
 
43,262,848
120.2
0.83
16.06
1997
 
43,565,722
121.1
0.70
15.98
1998
 
43,813,273
121.8
0.57
15.88
1999
 
44,032,003
122.4
0.50
15.78
2000
 
44,214,174
122.9
0.41
15.67
2001
 
44,251,089
123.0
0.08
15.53
2002
 
44,364,490
123.3
0.26
15.42
2003
 
44,515,345
123.7
0.34
15.34
2004
 
44,690,285
124.2
0.39
15.26
2005
 
44,869,910
124.7
0.40
15.18
2006
 
45,123,674
125.4
0.57
15.12
2007
 
45,308,294
125.9
0.41
15.04
2008
 
45,466,650
126.3
0.35
14.95
2009
 
45,561,454
126.6
0.21
14.85
2010
 
45,659,646
126.9
0.22
14.76
2011
 
45,635,974
126.8
-0.05
14.63
2012
 
45,564,965
126.6
-0.16
14.50
2013
 
45,504,852
126.5
-0.13
14.37
2014
 
45,452,292
126.3
-0.12
14.24
2015
 
45,403,390
126.2
-0.11
14.11
2016
 
45,371,835
126.1
-0.07
13.99
2017
 
45,360,178
126.1
-0.03
13.89
2018
 
45,361,492
126.1
0.00
13.81
2019
 
45,359,751
126.0
0.00
13.74
2020
 
45,328,015
126.0
-0.07
13.67
2021
 
45,392,882
126.1
0.14
13.67
2022
 
45,446,945
126.3
0.12
13.64
Source: Calculations by the New Hampshire Regional Economic Analysis Project (NH-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
New Hampshire:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
724,000
100.0
N
0.36
1970
 
741,932
102.5
2.48
0.36
1971
 
762,173
105.3
2.73
0.37
1972
 
781,699
108.0
2.56
0.37
1973
 
801,824
110.7
2.57
0.38
1974
 
817,073
112.9
1.90
0.38
1975
 
830,025
114.6
1.59
0.39
1976
 
847,025
117.0
2.05
0.39
1977
 
871,860
120.4
2.93
0.40
1978
 
893,974
123.5
2.54
0.40
1979
 
911,893
126.0
2.00
0.41
1980
 
924,250
127.7
1.36
0.41
1981
 
936,621
129.4
1.34
0.41
1982
 
947,720
130.9
1.19
0.41
1983
 
958,134
132.3
1.10
0.41
1984
 
976,863
134.9
1.95
0.41
1985
 
996,753
137.7
2.04
0.42
1986
 
1,025,054
141.6
2.84
0.43
1987
 
1,054,289
145.6
2.85
0.44
1988
 
1,082,576
149.5
2.68
0.44
1989
 
1,104,523
152.6
2.03
0.45
1990
 
1,112,384
153.6
0.71
0.45
1991
 
1,109,929
153.3
-0.22
0.44
1992
 
1,117,784
154.4
0.71
0.44
1993
 
1,129,458
156.0
1.04
0.43
1994
 
1,142,560
157.8
1.16
0.43
1995
 
1,157,561
159.9
1.31
0.43
1996
 
1,174,719
162.3
1.48
0.44
1997
 
1,189,425
164.3
1.25
0.44
1998
 
1,205,940
166.6
1.39
0.44
1999
 
1,222,014
168.8
1.33
0.44
2000
 
1,239,882
171.3
1.46
0.44
2001
 
1,255,517
173.4
1.26
0.44
2002
 
1,269,089
175.3
1.08
0.44
2003
 
1,279,840
176.8
0.85
0.44
2004
 
1,290,121
178.2
0.80
0.44
2005
 
1,298,492
179.3
0.65
0.44
2006
 
1,308,389
180.7
0.76
0.44
2007
 
1,312,540
181.3
0.32
0.44
2008
 
1,315,906
181.8
0.26
0.43
2009
 
1,316,102
181.8
0.01
0.43
2010
 
1,317,094
181.9
0.08
0.43
2011
 
1,321,886
182.6
0.36
0.42
2012
 
1,327,287
183.3
0.41
0.42
2013
 
1,331,050
183.8
0.28
0.42
2014
 
1,339,224
185.0
0.61
0.42
2015
 
1,343,633
185.6
0.33
0.42
2016
 
1,351,059
186.6
0.55
0.42
2017
 
1,358,984
187.7
0.59
0.42
2018
 
1,364,875
188.5
0.43
0.42
2019
 
1,371,834
189.5
0.51
0.42
2020
 
1,378,587
190.4
0.49
0.42
2021
 
1,387,505
191.6
0.65
0.42
2022
 
1,395,231
192.7
0.56
0.42
Source: Calculations by the New Hampshire Regional Economic Analysis Project (NH-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
201,298,000
100.0
N
1970
 
203,798,722
101.2
1.24
1971
 
206,817,509
102.7
1.48
1972
 
209,274,882
104.0
1.19
1973
 
211,349,205
105.0
0.99
1974
 
213,333,635
106.0
0.94
1975
 
215,456,585
107.0
1.00
1976
 
217,553,859
108.1
0.97
1977
 
219,760,875
109.2
1.01
1978
 
222,098,244
110.3
1.06
1979
 
224,568,579
111.6
1.11
1980
 
227,224,719
112.9
1.18
1981
 
229,465,744
114.0
0.99
1982
 
231,664,432
115.1
0.96
1983
 
233,792,014
116.1
0.92
1984
 
235,824,907
117.2
0.87
1985
 
237,923,734
118.2
0.89
1986
 
240,132,831
119.3
0.93
1987
 
242,288,936
120.4
0.90
1988
 
244,499,004
121.5
0.91
1989
 
246,819,222
122.6
0.95
1990
 
249,622,814
124.0
1.14
1991
 
252,980,941
125.7
1.35
1992
 
256,514,224
127.4
1.40
1993
 
259,918,588
129.1
1.33
1994
 
263,125,821
130.7
1.23
1995
 
266,278,393
132.3
1.20
1996
 
269,394,284
133.8
1.17
1997
 
272,646,925
135.4
1.21
1998
 
275,854,104
137.0
1.18
1999
 
279,040,168
138.6
1.15
2000
 
282,162,411
140.2
1.12
2001
 
284,968,955
141.6
0.99
2002
 
287,625,193
142.9
0.93
2003
 
290,107,933
144.1
0.86
2004
 
292,805,298
145.5
0.93
2005
 
295,516,599
146.8
0.93
2006
 
298,379,912
148.2
0.97
2007
 
301,231,207
149.6
0.96
2008
 
304,093,966
151.1
0.95
2009
 
306,771,529
152.4
0.88
2010
 
309,378,433
153.7
0.85
2011
 
311,841,632
154.9
0.80
2012
 
314,344,331
156.2
0.80
2013
 
316,735,375
157.3
0.76
2014
 
319,270,047
158.6
0.80
2015
 
321,829,327
159.9
0.80
2016
 
324,367,742
161.1
0.79
2017
 
326,623,063
162.3
0.70
2018
 
328,542,157
163.2
0.59
2019
 
330,233,102
164.1
0.51
2020
 
331,511,512
164.7
0.39
2021
 
332,031,554
164.9
0.16
2022
 
333,287,557
165.6
0.38
Source: Calculations by the New Hampshire Regional Economic Analysis Project (NH-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PN
 
   
Copyright © 2024. Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project (PNREAP). All Rights Reserved.

Please stay tuned...
while your request is processing:

Please wait while your request is being processed...
To offer the most comprehensive set of interactive options in support of your research, NH-REAP calculates and crunches most of the data and generates the narrative and graphic analysis on demand in response to your request.
Your request will soon be available.
Just a few more seconds....Your request has been generated and is now loading the results.