historical reasons for each state's growth cycles

[Dereich]

Florida
Best Decade: 1970s (+4.20 Seats)
Reason: IDK
Worst Decade: 1910s (+0.43 Seats)
Reason: Maybe the state was seen as a backwater back then

Not the only reason, but the answer to both is air conditioning. Florida was a slow growing backwater before the 60's or so, because it was too damn hot to live in. In the 50's almost every other southern state had more people then Florida did, and when air conditioning became a big thing in the late 60's/early 70's while all southern states grew by a lot, Florida was even cheaper and prettier then the other places in the south. Also, the 70s were a big time for all the southern states because thats around the time northern businesses decided to flee en masse south for cheaper labor costs.

[Dereich]

Florida
Best Decade: 1970s (+4.20 Seats)
Reason: IDK
Worst Decade: 1910s (+0.43 Seats)
Reason: Maybe the state was seen as a backwater back then

Not the only reason, but the answer to both is air conditioning. Florida was a slow growing backwater before the 60's or so, because it was too damn hot to live in. In the 50's almost every other southern state had more people then Florida did, and when air conditioning became a big thing in the late 60's/early 70's while all southern states grew by a lot, Florida was even cheaper and prettier then the other places in the south. Also, the 70s were a big time for all the southern states because thats around the time northern businesses decided to flee en masse south for cheaper labor costs.

not true at all. Florida has always been very fast growing

1910 3.56
1920 3.99
1930 5.22
1940 6.28
1950 8.04
1960 12.04
1970 14.55
1980 18.75
1990 22.68
2000 24.75
2010 26.54

the gain of 22.98 seats in the 435 era is second to only California.

The numbers don't really refute me. About 2/3s of that growth came after AC became cheap enough to install in cars in the late 50's. Before then the only decade where Florida gained more then one seat was the 40's, and that's thanks to the massive growth in military personel and hangers-on from World War II.