The map above shows distinct migration to the West and Sunbelt during the pandemic, based on census figures out Thursday.

Why it matters: This race to the Rockies and Southwest in our work-from-anywhere world signals emerging powers in tech, business, politics, philanthropy — every dimension of life.

Two other accelerating trends detailed by the Census Bureau:

1. America is getting older: Since 2000, the national median age — the point at which half the population is older and half younger — has grown by 3.4 years, to 38.8 years. Only one state, Maine, became slightly younger.
2. America is getting more diverse: Every race and origin group grew from July 2020 to July 2021 — except the white population, which fell 0.03%. "Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander" was the fastest-growing category, increasing 1.54%. Hispanic was the largest category in numerical gain (800,000) — and second-fastest-growing, up 1.24%.