The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the nation's population grew by 1% (2.9 million people) between July 1, 2003 and July 1, 2004, to 293.7 million. With a growth rate of 4.1%, Nevada ranked first among states for the 18th consecutive year.

Four nearby states joined Nevada on the list of the nation's 10 fastest-growing: Arizona (second), Idaho (fourth), Utah (seventh) and New Mexico (10th). The remaining top 10 fastest-growing states all are coastal: Florida (third), Georgia (fifth), Texas (sixth), Delaware (eighth) and North Carolina (ninth). These 10 states accounted for 49% of the national growth from 2003 to 2004.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Geological Survey, aggregate production grew with the population, with the exception of Nevada. Through the first nine months of 2003, Nevada producers reported making 36.1 million metric tons of aggregate. Yet, for the first nine months in 2004, they reported producing 35.4 million metric tons, a 2% decrease.

And despite being bumped from the top 10 growing states, California producers reported a 7.2% increase from 2003 to 2004. North Carolina and New Mexico replaced California and Hawaii on the list of the top 10 fastest-growing states this year.

Of the10 fastest-growing states from 2003 to 2004, five are in the West and five in the South. The South now accounts for 36% of the nation's population, with the West comprising 23%, the Midwest 22% and the Northeast 19%.

California remained the most populous state in the nation with 35.9 million people in 2004. The second and third most populous states were Texas (22.5 million) and New York (19.2 million).