Georgia saw an increase of 150,000 young adults, ages 15 to 44, between 2000 and 2003, according to the Census data released Wednesday. The 4 percent increase for that age group was the fourth largest among states behind only Nevada, Arizona and Florida and high above the national average increase of just 1 percent.

Young adults are moving into Georgia in large proportions to follow the lure of job opportunities and the low cost of living, said Doug Bachtel, a demographer at the University of Georgia. ``This group really has the ability to move around. They're young, they're finishing college, they're just starting out,'' he said.

Bachtel added that the influx of young adults during this time period reflects the state's ability to weather the economic downturn. ``We have this really diversified economy, so Georgia grows in good times and in bad times,'' he said.

The Census Bureau released overall state estimates for 2003 last fall. The U.S. population of nearly 291 million is up 3 percent since 2000, and Georgia's population of 8.6 million is up 6 percent, or 498,198 people.

The 15-to-44 age group made up 30.6 percent of the state's estimated population increase. Children 15 and under made up 23.5 percent of the increase, while adults 45 to 65 made up 37.7 percent, and those 65 and older made up 8.2 percent.

The figures released Wednesday, which were based on birth, death and migration data from the 2000 census, only showed population estimates for 2003 by general age categories. Further demographic breakdowns will be released in June, said Robert Bernstein, spokesman for the Census Bureau.

While growth in the 15- to 44-year-old age group ranks high in the nation, Georgia saw its largest percentage increases in its youngest and oldest residents. The number of children under 5 and adults over 85 both increased by more than 10 percent since 2000, census estimates show.

The increase of young children surges over the national average of 3 percent, ranking Georgia's growth at fifth in the nation. Bachtel pointed out that growth in this group has a strong connection to the surge in the 15-to-44 age category, characterized as the prime child-bearing years for women.

Meanwhile, the state's dramatic increase in elderly population seems to follow a national trend, as life expectancy in the United States continues to grow. Georgia only ranks 30th among states in that age category.

Still, those numbers pose a challenge for administrators, who must deal with the ever-increasing strain on government resources, from schools to health care, Bachtel said. ``Elderly and young people take more in terms of taxes, in terms of government and private sector involvement,'' he said.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)