Alabama continues to lag behind many other Southern states in both birth rate and attracting new residents, newly released Census Bureau estimates say.
While the South is the fastest-growing region of the country, "Alabama is not the fastest-growing state in the South," said Annette Watters, manager of the State Census Bureau at the University of Alabama. "As a whole, the South grew mostly because of people moving into the region from other states."
Alabama fails to attract as many domestic migrants as other nearby states, Watters said.
Overall, Alabama grew by 23,005 people in the 15 months between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2011, and it remains 23rd in population, with 4.8 million people.
The growing population in the South comes as the Northeast and Midwest lose residents who are moving away.
Alabama lags in another measure: The state's birth rate for the past year has been below the average for the South, and even below the national average, Watters said.
Since Census Day on April 1, 2010, the South and the West areas of the United States have had the highest birth rates.