US population growth slowest in last 70 years: Census

US population growth has been stunted since the start of the recession, the US Census Bureau found on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Population growth is at its slowest rate since the 1940s. The nation’s population did increase by an estimated 2.8 million people to 311.6 million from April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011, bringing the growth rate to 0.92 percent, the lowest in 70 years.

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"The nation's overall growth rate is now at its lowest point since before the Baby Boom," Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said in a statement, Reuters reported. The Census Bureau numbers include the population of all of the states and Puerto Rico.

Texas added 592,000 people, more than any other state, the Wall Street Journal reported. The state now has a population of 25.7 million even though its growth rate slowed to 1.7 percent, USA Today reported.

Texas was followed by California with 438,000, Florida with 256,000, Georgia with 128,000 and North Carolina with 121,000. The top five states made up more than half of the total US population growth, CNBC reported.

Florida’s population shot up to 19.1 million residents, one of the only Sunbelt states recovering from the housing crisis to do so, and is now close to surpassing New York’s population size, The Suncoast News reported. If the Sunshine State’s growth trends continue, it could pass New York’s size in two years.

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"Florida is growing as much as it had in 2005-06,'' said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, USA Today reported.

Nevada had its slowest growth ever, just 0.7 percent, or 2.7 million people, and Arizona wasn’t far behind with 1.1 percent in growth, a major decline from its annual 3.3. percent growth before the recession.

"The pain is being felt, and it's actually expanding to more parts," Frey said, USA Today reported. "The latest Census numbers tell us more of the same."