New population figures are in for the state of Wisconsin.
Greg Harper of the U.S. Census Bureau says more than 5.6 million people are now living in the Badger State, up about 27,000 people from 2008. The numbers mean Wisconsin ranks 20th among the 50 states for the having the largest population.
Since the 2000 census, Harper says about 291,000 more people are living in the state. We’ve seen growth at about half the nationwide average of 9.9-percent.
Harper says Nevada and Arizona were the fastest growing states over the last decade. In the last year, Texas added the most people, but Wyoming had the largest percentage of growth at two-percent.
The new population figures are the last ones that the census bureau will release before the 2010 Census.
AUDIO: Greg Harper, U.S. Census Bureau (:12)