1990 USA Regions Population

Continued westward and southward shift.

By 1990, the population distribution across the United States vividly reflected decades of significant regional shifts, largely defined by the ongoing "Sun Belt" phenomenon and the continued decline of the "Rust Belt." The South emerged as the nation's most populous region, having experienced robust growth since post-WWII due to economic diversification, an attractive climate, and a lower cost of living, drawing both internal migrants and an increasing number of international immigrants. Similarly, the West, particularly states like California, Arizona, and Nevada, continued its trajectory as the fastest-growing region percentage-wise, fueled by burgeoning tech and service industries, vast natural resources, and substantial migration from other parts of the country and abroad, especially from Asia and Latin America. Conversely, the historically industrial Northeast and Midwest, while still densely populated, saw slower growth or even population stagnation and outward migration from many urban and manufacturing centers, a trend rooted in deindustrialization and the ongoing shift away from heavy industry, gradually diminishing their share of the national population relative to the burgeoning southern and western states.

Data Source: US Census Bureau