Home | Assessments | Coastal Population Trends

Coastal areas are home to a wealth of natural and economic resources and are the most developed areas in the nation. The narrow fringe comprising 17% of the contiguous land area is home to more than half of the nation's population. Between the years 1980 and 2003, population in coastal counties has increased by 33 million people or by 28%, where the largest gain was seen in the Pacific region. Additionally in 2003, 23 of the 25 most densely populated counties were coastal. By the year 2008, coastal county population is expected to increase by approximately 7 million. The purpose of the report is to provide recent and projected population trends to coastal managers and communities. This report highlights the importance of coastal areas, and provides an overview of population trends from 1980 to 2003 and projected change in population by 2008. This report is available for download and hardcopy upon request.