● Regionally, the Rocky Mountain states reported the most rapid growth rate - 37.1 percent since 1970 in a vast area with only 5 percent of the US population.

　　●Among states, Nevada and Arizona grew fastest of all: 63.5 and 53.1 percent respectively. Except fro Florida and Texas, the top 10 in rate of growth is composed of Western states with 7.5 million people - about 9 per square mile.

　　The flight from overcrowdedness affects the migration from snow belt to more bearable climates.

　　Nowhere do 1980 census statistics dramatize more the American search for spacious living than in the Far West. There, California added 3.7 million to its population in the 1970s, more than any other state.

　　In that decade, however, large numbers also migrated from California, mostly to other parts of the West. Often they chose - and still are choosing - somewhat colder climates such as Oregon, Idaho and Alaska in order to escape smog, crime and other plagues of urbanization in the Golden State.

　　As a result, California’s growth rate dropped during the 1970s, to 18.5 percent - little more than two thirds the 1960s’ growth figure and considerably below that of other Western states.

　　65. We can see from the available statistics that _____ .

　　[A] California was once the most thinly populated area in the whole US