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Washingtonians, rejoice: In our dream world in which the District is a state, it is now only the third-smallest state!
According to new census figures, D.C. gained 13,303 people between July 2011 and July 2012 to reach a population of 632,323, overtaking Vermont, which lost 581 people to drop to 626,011. Wyoming remained dead last at 576,412.
D.C. was also the second-fastest-growing “state” at 2.15 percent growth, trailing only North Dakota (2.17) and leaving third-place Texas (1.67) in the dust. The District had 9,156 births and 8,953 in-migrations in the past year.
The city’s growth was accompanied by a continuing decrease in reliance on cars. The percentage of households with no vehicles increased from 36.9 percent to 38.5 percent.
One thing that didn’t change: that whole taxation without representation thing. Though D.C.’s at least as entitled to a voting representative and two senators as Wyoming or Vermont, we’re stuck with a single non-voting delegate—-Joe Lieberman‘s efforts notwithstanding.
So I’ll take this opportunity to call down a curse on puny but better-represented Vermont: May your treasured maple trees henceforth ooze nothing but mumbo sauce!