| The US Census Bureau has published the "Statistical Abstract of the United States," a 1,000-page volume packed with information about people in the USA.
The bureau has also released some preliminary numbers about the population of the Mountain State.
Since 2000, the state's population has grown by 44,650 residents, or 2.5 percent to 1.85 million.
The 3rd WV Congressional District may have to be enlarged due to population increases.
According to preliminary findings, West Virginia has experienced it's second-straight decade of population growth, something that hasn't happened in the state since 1950.
It's also the highest increase since the 1980 Census showed West Virginia's population grew.
West Virginia remains the 37th largest state.
The Mountain State's population dropped by 8 percent during the 1980s, then grew, just a little, by 0.8 percent in the 1990s.
Statisticians are still saying that West Virginia's population will drop to 1.72 million by 2030.
Florida and West Virginia had the highest percentages of people age 65 and older in 2008. WV at 17.4 percent, with the national average at 12.8 percent.
West Virginians are dying at a much higher rate, the largest figure than any other state.
In 2007 WV had 11.6 deaths per 1,000 residents, with the national rate at 8 deaths per 1,000 people.
States with the lowest death rates, between 5.1 and 6.7 per 1,000 residents, were Alaska, Utah, Colorado, California and Texas.
In 2007, 39.7 percent of all births in the United States were to unmarried mothers. West Virginia was slightly above the average, with 40.4 percent.
The highest rate of births to unmarried females was 58.5 percent in Washington, D.C.
The lowest rate of births to unmarried mothers were 19.5 percent in Utah.
Lots of West Virginians get a divorce.
West Virginia had the nation's fifth-highest divorce rate in 2007, or five divorces for every 1,000 residents, compared to the U.S. average of 3.6.
The abortion rate was 6.7 abortions for every 1,000 women between 15 and 44 in 2005, way below the national rate of 19.4 abortions for every 1,000 women.
The highest abortion rates per 1,000 women, 50 in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. infant-mortality rate was 6.7 deaths for every 1,000 births in 2006.
West Virginia's infant-mortality rate was 7.4. (Infant mortality is defined as a child who dies before reaching age 1.)
West Virginia had the highest infant-mortality rates among blacks, 28.6 for every 1,000 births, compared to 13.3 nationally.
In 2008, blacks made up 3.6 percent of West Virginia's population and 12.8 percent of the national population.
More statistics will be forthcoming from the 2010 census.
| 
