What's New
A new U.S. Census Bureau report found that the U.S. population grew by almost one percent between 2023 and 2024, an increase representing the fastest annual population growth the country has seen since 2001.
Newsweek has mapped the states driving the fastest population growth in decades, according to the data.
Why It Matters
Released on Thursday, the Census Bureau's report found that the primary driver of this growth was a rise in net international migration.
The growth between 2023 and 2024, at around one percent, far outpaced the record low 0.2 percent rate of growth in 2021. Population growth eventually equates to changes in government, as the U.S. census apportionment changes the number of congressional districts - and corresponding electoral votes - in a given state.
The coronavirus pandemic, due to the rise of remote work, already greatly shifted demographics across the country, but immigration continues to add to that ever-changing national landscape.
What To Know
According to the data, the fastest growing state, numerically, was Texas, which saw an increase of 562,941 people between July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024.
It's estimated population was 29,149,458 people in April 2020, according to the figures, which has now risen to more than 21,290,000 people. Texas saw increasing migration from other states during the coronavirus pandemic as remote work allowed people to leave higher-taxed states like California and New York while retaining their income level.
Florida came second, with an increase of 467,347 people between July 2023 and 2024, followed by California (currently the U.S.' most populous state overall) with 232,570 more people.
The remaining states, and their numeric growth over the same period, in order, were as follows:
North Carolina: 164,835
New York: 129,881
New Jersey: 121,209
Georgia: 116,446
Arizona: 109,357
Washington: 100,860
South Carolina: 91,001
The report found that the South, which at nearly 132.7 million residents is the most populous region of the county, added more people than all other regions of the U.S. combined, meaning it remained the fastest growing region in the country.
International immigration added 1.1 million people to the region, with domestic migration contributing 411,004 residents, and natural increase adding a further 218,567—for a population gain of around 1.8 million between 2023 and 2024.
The report also highlighted the top states (or state equivalents) with the highest percentage growth in population: Between July 2023 and 2024, District of Columbia saw the largest percentage growth, with 2.2 percent, climbing from a population of 687,324 last year to 702,250 as of July 2024.
Florida and Texas followed, with percentage increases of 2.0 and 1.8 respectively.
What People Are Saying
Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for Estimates and Projections said in the report: "Improved integration of federal data sources on immigration has enhanced our estimates methodology."
Hartley added: "With this update, we can better understand how the recent increase in international migration is impacting the country's overall population growth."
Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Census Bureau's Population Division said in the report: "An annual growth rate of 1.0% is higher than what we've seen over recent years but well within historical norms."
Wilder added: "What stands out is the diminishing role of natural increase over the last five years, as net international migration has become the primary driver of the nation's growth."
What Happens Next
According to University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, the U.S. population is expected to increase to 371 million by the year 2050.
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