Population growth in Indiana slowed to a 0.4 percent increase this year, showing less growth in rural areas and more of a trend towards urbanization
Indiana Business Research Center Demographer Matt Kinghorn says that the most recent decline is a continuation of the past few years.
"This trend really started back in 2008 or so and has continued on these past three or four years," he says.
More than half of Indiana counties lost residents in 2011. Most are rural counties where jobs are on the decline. According to Kinghorn, tough economic times often force people to move to cities. At the same time, more people are choosing to live in the city where they work.
Kinghorn suggests that part of this population growth decline is due to the lack of suburban movement from big cities.
"There is also quite a bit of suburban growth people coming from Chicago, and whatnot, but you're seeing a lot less migration from urban cores to suburban areas," he says.
Lake County, home to Gary and Hammond, saw the greatest population decrease.