Infographic: The U.S. States Losing & Gaining Population (2024)

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Demographics

As pandemic patterns of U.S. population growth are normalizing, three economically successful states have remained among the U.S. jurisdictions which are shrinking. According to a December release by the Census Bureau, California, Illinois and New York - along with West Virginia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Hawaii and Oregon - lost population in 2023 compared to 2022. Throughout the new Census first released in 2020, all three states have shown continuously sinking population numbers. New York and Illinois even started to see their populations decline under the old Census since 2016 and 2014, respectively, while California experienced a stagnating number of inhabitants in 2019.

While during pandemic conditions, many other states experienced the same shrinking populations (19 at the height of the trend in 2022), the release of the 2023 data now shows that the demographic problems that have plagued some states since before the pandemic are still ongoing. Americans resettling because of high cost of living do play a role in this development, but changes in immigration into the U.S. have also had a big part in the state's ongoing population decline as immigrants increasingly diversify their destinations in the U.S., favoring - like domestic migrants - the Sun Belt states, but also smaller cities.

The story of New York, the country's fastest shrinking state as of the latest Census release, fits this mold. New York lost 0.5 percent of its population between July 2022 and June 2023 and the previous Census had recorded a decreasing population in the state since 2016. The speed of New York's population shrink also seems to have sped up since - from just 0.1 percent in 2016 to 0.4 percent in 2019 and now 0.5 percent in 2023. While Covid-19-era losses were even higher in New York, which became the poster child of pandemic city flight, normalization seems to mean that New York is now back on its trajectory of steadily increasing population loss. The state experienced a negative domestic net migration of more than 200,000 people last year and it received only a net 73,900 people from overseas, staying behind Florida, California and Texas for international migration.

Infographic: The U.S. States Losing & Gaining Population (1)

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Infographic: The U.S. States Losing & Gaining Population (2)

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Infographic: The U.S. States Losing & Gaining Population (2024)

FAQs

Which US states are losing the most population? ›

15 Fastest Declining States in the US
  • Massachusetts. ...
  • New Mexico. ...
  • Maryland. ...
  • 10. California. ...
  • Rhode Island. ...
  • Pennsylvania. Percentage Change in Population (2021-2022): -0.3% ...
  • Mississippi. Percentage Change in Population (2021-2022): -0.3% ...
  • Oregon. Percentage Change in Population (2021-2022): -0.4%
Mar 28, 2024

Is California gaining or losing population? ›

California's population grew in 2023, halting 3 years of decline, state estimates. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The nation's most populous state is growing again, ending a trend of population decline that had dogged Gov. Gavin Newsom through much of his tenure.

Is the population of the United states increasing or decreasing? ›

The current population of U.S. in 2024 is 341,814,420, a 0.53% increase from 2023. The population of U.S. in 2023 was 339,996,563, a 0.5% increase from 2022. The population of U.S. in 2022 was 338,289,857, a 0.38% increase from 2021. The population of U.S. in 2021 was 336,997,624, a 0.31% increase from 2020.

What are 3 causes of population growth in the United states? ›

There are three components of change: births, deaths, and migration. The change in the population from births and deaths is often combined and referred to as natural increase or natural change. Populations grow or shrink depending on if they gain people faster than they lose them.

What states are gaining population? ›

Population increases in South Carolina (1.71%), Florida (1.64%), and Texas (1.58%) topped the ranks, growing about four-times faster than the national median in 2023. However, population growth slowed at least slightly in these and most other states with booming populations compared with their performance in 2022.

Why is Florida growing so fast? ›

The growth of Florida's metro areas between 2022 and 2023 was also driven by positive net migration—the sum of net domestic and net international migration — which includes movers from within the United States and other countries.

Why is population growth a problem? ›

More people require more food, water, sanitation, homes, public services, and amenities – but our Earth is struggling to cope. Populations of wild species have plummeted, global temperatures are rising, our seas are full of plastic and forests are disappearing.

Why is Utah growing so fast? ›

Utah's population growth is fueled by the highest per capita rate of natural increase among all states. Utah's birth rate (per capita) is the highest in the nation. This is the combined result of the state's youngest median age and high fertility rate.

What are the fastest growing cities in the US? ›

Change in population, 2022 to 2023
  • Atlanta. +2.4%
  • Fort Worth, Texas. +2.2.
  • Raleigh, N.C. +1.9.
  • Henderson, Nev. +1.8.
  • Charlotte, N.C. +1.7.
May 16, 2024

Where is overpopulation the worst? ›

In response, population activists argue that overpopulation is a problem in both rich and poor countries, and arguably a worse problem in rich countries, where residents' higher per capita consumption ratchets up the impacts of their excessive numbers.

Why is overpopulation bad? ›

With more people comes more waste and pollution, which can lead to water contamination, air pollution, and other environmental issues. This has a detrimental effect on the planet's ecosystems as well as human health.

What are the 10 effects of population growth? ›

More people means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. And all that consumption contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics.

Where is population declining the fastest? ›

In the Cook Islands in 2023, the population decreased by about 2.31 percent compared to the previous year, making it the country with the highest population decline rate in 2023.

Which state has the lowest population growth rate? ›

Highest growth rate—1 Meghalaya 2 Arunachal Pradesh 3 Bihar Lowest growth rate— Nagaland 0.5.
  • Highest and lowest population in india is in.
  • Highest and lowest population in india is in.
  • According to the 2001 census, the states with the lowest imd the highest density of population are respectively.

What state has the lowest population rate? ›

Wyoming is the least populous state. In 2024, Alaska, with a unique demographic featuring high veteran density, remains third-least-populated but excels in air quality and low-income inequality despite the highest gun violence rate among states. The least populous state in the United States is Wyoming.

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