Actually the 4 corners State (Mountain Time) are growing extremely rapid
PHP Code:
State 1980 2000 2016
AZ 2.717 5.161 6.931
CO 2.890 4.327 5.541
UT 1.461 2.245 3.051
NM 1.303 1.821 2.081
---------- ------- ------- -------
4-Corners 8.371 13.554 17.604
AL 3.894 4.452 4.863
LA 4.206 4.472 4.682
MS 2.521 2.848 2.989
AR 2.286 2.679 2.988
---------- ------- ------- -------
Deep So 12.907 14.451 15.522
MA 5.737 6.361 6.784
CT 3.108 3.412 3.585
NH 0.921 1.240 1.335
ME 1.125 1.227 1.331
RI 0.947 1.050 1.056
VT 0.511 0.609 0.624
---------- ------- ------- -------
NE 12.349 13.899 14.815
MO 4.917 5.607 6.093
OK 3.025 3.454 3.924
IA 2.914 9.929 3.135
KS 2.364 2.694 2.907
TN 4.591 5.704 6.651
SC 3.121 4.024 4.961
KY 3.660 4.049 4.437
IL 11.43 12.43 12.80
OH 10.80 11.36 11.61
MI 9.262 9.952 9.928
IN 5.490 6.092 6.663
WI 4.706 5.374 5.779
MN 4.076 4.934 5.552
The States which are growing equally fast as the four corners are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Oregon, Washington, Nevada (ridiculous growth), Idaho.
California is growing a bit slower, but faster than the non 4 corner states listed in the table. Florida is growing so fast it's ridiculous (where are they going to put everyone), they may pass New York and rival Texas for 2nd in a couple decades.
Basically what is growing is the West, Texas, and the Atlantic Coast from DC south. The Upper South and Deep South appear to be done with their rapid growth.
But it is amazing to see how quickly the 4 corners and also the Pacific Northwest blew past New England and the four deepest South States in just a couple decades. In two decades this will have a major electoral impact when 5 or 6 western states will be more important than all but a couple the Midwest states and all the non-coastal southern states. Heck even poor-man New Mexico in 20 years is likely to pass states like Kansas, Mississippi and Arkansas in population.
This rapid growth is why I have no long term fears about the P12 (or ACC given their core area growth). Demographics are in their favor in the long run, and in research they already dominate (most healthy schools of anyone nationally). They just haven't figured out sports media packaging.