The exodus continues

More people are leaving the state of Minnesota than are arriving. I'm guessing not enough folks are buying Gov. Tim Walz's "One Minnesota" pap.

Minnesota's population growth has stalled for the second year in a row, suggesting the pandemic has left lingering effects and the number of people leaving the state continues to outpace new arrivals.

The number of people living in Minnesota grew by less than 1% — about 5,700 people — between July 2021 and July 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 population estimates released Thursday.

While the numbers are an improvement over the previous year when the state recorded a net gain of about 1,600 people, they are still far short of Minnesota's typical annual growth of about 35,000 people, said Susan Brower, Minnesota's state demographer.

"To see two years of this level of growth is surprising," Brower said. Last year's low growth levels could potentially be attributed to higher death rates, slowed immigration and delayed pregnancies during the pandemic, she said. But seeing the situation continue for a second year is "concerning."

Yeah it's concerning, but it shouldn't be all that surprising. People would be more apt to tolerate the arctic weather from December thru about March (sometimes April) if there were other enticements across the state. 

Unfortunately, many from outstate are more hesitant to indulge in activities in Twin Cities metro area given the alarming rise in violent crime. Sure, residents in the metro can poo-poo that concern all they want, but the reality is they keep voting in the same officials (or, in the case of the Hennepin County attorney, worse people) who don't adequately combat an undeniably growing problem. And given the metrocrats actively look to kill oil pipelines and the mining industry, the livelihoods of a good number of rural Minnesotans are suddenly jeopardized.

So go ahead and spend a half billion dollars on renovation and expansion of the State Office Building or dump another $100+ million into the money pit that is Southwest Light Rail. Just don't be surprised if all those factors expedite weary Minnesotans' departures. 

----------------------------------------