Housing bubble? Out! Rolling boom? In! Migration and immigration patterns are creating news in housing as homebuyers try to find more affordable homes in the South and West.

New state population estimates just released by the U.S. Census Bureau suggest that homebuyers are migrating from higher-priced markets to more moderately priced areas, bringing new growth to cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Jacksonville, Phoenix and Portland.

The effect is called a rolling boom. That's when high prices force homebuyers to the suburbs, or to new towns or across state lines. California, for example, loses about 100,000 residents a year to other states, which has helped to create rolling booms in Nevada and Arizona. As those areas become less affordable, buyers are already migrating to Texas, Georgia and other states.

For the 19th year in a row, Nevada grew the most of any state, with Arizona a close second.

There are three ways that state populations grow -- births, immigration from other countries and migration from other states. Migration and immigration impact birth, creating population booms. In 2005, the nation added nearly 3 million people bringing the country's population to over 296 million.

Over half of that growth was in Florida, Texas, California, Arizona and Georgia. Regionally speaking, 36 percent of the nation lives in the South, 23 percent in the West, 22 percent in the Midwest and 18 percent in the Northeast. Florida takes the prize for the largest population increase, gaining nearly 404,000 residents. Texas was close with 388,000, or 1063 per day.

California remains the most populous state with over 36 million people in 2005. Second place went to Texas, with nearly 23 million, and third to New York with just under 20 million.

Over half the nation's population live in 10 states nearly equally divided among the Northeast, Midwest, South and West.

Those states are:

• Northeast - New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey

• Midwest - Illinois, Ohio, Michigan

• South - Texas, Florida, Georgia

• West - California

What does this mean to you as a homebuyer or seller? Realty Times advises that population shifts are as old as mankind, so it's wise to expect constant change. We are migratory by nature, and affordability will always play a part. But so does opportunity. The question is where do you want to live? Look not only at home prices, but job opportunities, lifestyle, and culture -- those should all be compelling if you are to be happy in your new home.

Remember. Wherever you go, there you are, buckaroo. Make sure you move somewhere you really want to be.