Between 2010 and 2013, Maine’s total population has remained virtually unchanged. Census estimates indicate that our 1.3 million population declined by about 200, hardly a change worth noting. But just because the total hasn’t changed doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been a lot of change beneath the surface. Indeed, population dynamics is the central story of Maine today.

The first thread of the story is international migration. Since 2010, Maine’s population has grown by nearly 3,400 from immigrants from other countries. This increase more than offset the nearly 2,800 people we lost to domestic migration – people who left Maine for other states since 2010 and nearly offset the 725 number by which our deaths exceeded our births. In other words, but for the arrival of international immigrants, our total population would have dropped by more than 3,500. And,this immigration was nearly as significant (an addition of nearly 1,500 people) outside of Greater Portland as it was within Greater Portland where the international immigrants added nearly 1,900 more people.

The second thread of the story is the varied sources of growth within the Greater Portland region. Births exceeded deaths by more than 1,200. Net international migration increased the population by nearly 1,900. And, most importantly, net domestic migration – people moving to Greater Portland from other areas of the U.S. (including rural Maine) – added nearly 2,800 to the region’s population.

The third thread of the story, then, is the rest of Maine outside of Greater Portland (here defined as York, Cumberland and Sagadahoc counties). In this area, deaths exceeded births by nearly 2,000 and net domestic migration saw nearly 5,600 people leave the area. But for the net international immigration of nearly 1,500 people, the population of Maine outside of Greater Portland would have dropped by over 7,500 people.

The one key fact that Census data don’t tell us is the age of these migrants. To the extent that they are retiring boomers drawn to our vaunted quality of life and young, underemployed dreamers drawn to Portland’s manageable urban buzz, they offer less evidence of current economic growth, but strong evidence of the region’s potential for such growth.

If there is any moral to draw from this story it is “leave for Portland or leave for good.” The fact that Greater Portland has, over the last four years, attracted a net domestic migration of nearly 2,800 people is good news. We must try to build on that thread and welcome these and our international immigrants and encourage them to start and grow businesses that will create jobs and expand whatever migratory attractiveness has drawn them here. We must find ways to link them to employers who are searching for new workers by expanding apprentice programs and short-term training programs.

It is interesting and encouraging in this regard that Greater Portland’s net domestic migration total of 2,800 exceeds the totals for Essex, Suffolk and Plymouth counties in Massachusetts and for Rockingham and Strafford counties in New Hampshire. While our region’s natural demographic increase (births over deaths) is, at best, marginal, our attractiveness to migrants appears to be relatively strong and thus a flicker of good economic news we must attend to.

Charles Lawton is chief economist for Planning Decisions Inc. He can be contacted at:

clawton@planningdecisions.com