The Two States Where More People Are Dying Than Being Born

Maine and West Virginia are the only two states where more people died than were born.

Earlier, we analyzed the overall picture of how the U.S. population changed between July 1, 2012 and July 1, 2013, using the most recent Census estimates.

In an email to Business Insider, sociologist and demographer Kenneth Johnson of the University of New Hampshire noted that Maine and West Virginia had a net natural loss - more people died than were born in those states. These were the only two states where this happened.

Maine had 12,566 births and 12,866 deaths between July 2012 and July 2013 for a net natural decline of 300 people - a very small decline, but a decline, which is rare.

West Virginia had 20,408 births and 21,424 deaths, for a total loss of 1,016 people, again, a small decline.

Here's the geographic breakdown within each state of natural population gain and loss, starting with Maine. Counties in red had more deaths than births, counties in blue had more births than deaths:

In Maine, the only parts of the state that saw a decent number more births than deaths are the southern counties in the Portland metropolitan area.

Here's West Virginia:

The biggest spread between deaths and births in West Virginia happened in the southwestern part of the state. In contrast to Maine, the area around the state capital of Charleston in Kanawha County largely saw a natural decrease.