Washington growth rate falters

WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) -- The numbers of newcomers and departures are running about even in the Washington area where growth is at its slowest in 16 years, a census report indicated.

In its report for 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau said in a release Thursday that a record number of Washington residents moved out leaving it up to births and immigrants to give the area a one-year growth rate of 0.7 percent, or 38,771, lowest rate at least since 1990.

The Washington metropolitan region has a population of 5,290,400, ranking eighth in the United States, the Census Bureau release stated.