Nevada is once again America’s fastest-growing state, with the population rising 2.9 percent in the year ending July 1, 2007. The Silver State took back first place from Arizona, which dropped back to second place.

Nevada’s population is growing mainly through migration from other American states, secondly through natural births and thirdly through immigration from other countries.

Figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that Louisiana’s population has begun to recover from its Hurricane Katrina population loss, gaining 50,000 people to reach 4.3 million. The state had lost 250,000 residents in the previous year.

Texas gained more people than any other state, almost 500,000, far ahead of runner-up California, which added slightly more than 300,000.

California remains America’s most populous state with 37 million people.