Although we are the nation’s fifth most-populous state, Pennsylvania lost about 40,000 residents in the year ending July 31, according to the latest figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Our neighboring state of New Jersey’s loss was more moderate at 6,000.

Despite the loss, all of the five counties in the Times News region showed population gains. A nearby county - Pike - was the fastest growing by percentage in the state with a 2.3% increase that translated to about a 1,400-person gain taking its population to almost 60,000. Although not noted for its growth, Carbon County, with an increase of 1.02% was second. Carbon added 661 people taking its population to 65,412.

Every municipality in Carbon showed growth. Not surprisingly, Penn Forest Township at the western edge of the Poconos showed the most at 1.45%. Bowmanstown was next highest with a 1.35% gain, followed by Towamensing Township with 1.33%. Then came Kidder Township with 1.24% growth; East Penn Township, 1.20%; Lower Towamensing Township, 1.15%; Mahoning Township, 1.04%; Jim Thorpe, 0.97%; Lehigh Township, 0.95%; Palmerton, 0.82%; Packer Township, 0.78%; Banks Township, 0.77%; Nesquehoning, 0.76%; Lansford, 0.75%; Summit Hill, 0.74%; Parryville, 0.72%; Lehighton, 0.71%; Weatherly, 0.68%, Lausanne Township, 0.44%. Figures for Beaver Meadows, East Side and Weissport boroughs were not available.

Here are the gains in the other local counties: Monroe, 0.61% (plus 1,025 to 169,273); Schuylkill, 0.34% (plus 487 to 143,264; Lehigh, 0.28% (plus 1,035 to 375,529), and Northampton, 0.25% (plus 773 to 313,628).

The biggest population winner in the five-county region is Wind Gap borough in Northampton County, which wound up as the third fastest growing municipality in the state with a growth of 12.6% or an addition of 354 people. Wind Gap’s population growth was eclipsed only by Valencia borough in Butler County (27.2%) and Marietta borough in Lancaster County (13.3%).

Four counties lost more than 1% of their population during the year - Philadelphia (-1.55%), Cameron (-1.33%), Greene (-1.24%) and Fayette (-1.14%). Philadelphia also lost the most people, 24,754. Allegheny County shrank by 10,627 residents in one year.

The Census Bureau reported that the nation as a whole showed a 0.4% gain during this one-year period that was driven largely by international migration. Despite this modest gain, the country’s population is growing at historically low levels.

Pennsylvania and 23 other states experienced what the census bureau calls a negative “natural change,” meaning deaths exceeded births. Deaths were largely to blame for Pennsylvania’s population loss, exceeding births by about 56,000. Only Florida had a larger difference. One of the primary causes of an increase in the number of deaths has occurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been nearly 50,000 COVID deaths and 3.42 million cases in the state since the pandemic was declared in early 2020.

Pennsylvania realized nearly 27,000 international immigrants added to its population, but the newcomers could not make up for the 40,000 people who left for other states. According to state officials, warm weather states such as Florida, Arizona and Texas, continue to lure residents from colder northern states to these friendlier climes.

This is reflected in lost population in other mid-Atlantic and northeastern states, such as New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Taken as a whole, this conglomeration of states showed a population drop of 0.4%. The beneficiaries of these losses have been states in the South and West.

I am certain that there are times when we think about moving to a warmer climate. Such thoughts came about when we had that frigid cold spell in late December as temperatures tumbled into the single digits with a wind chill of minus 15 or colder, but then after evaluating everything, we think better of it. As we used to say in my hometown: Summit Hill winters build character.

By Bruce Frassinelli?|?tneditor@tnonline.com