The United States gained more than 1.6 million people in the past year, an increase driven by fewer deaths and pre-pandemic levels of immigration, according to data released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The rise marked a bump of 0.5% as more states saw population gains than in any year since the start of the pandemic, bringing the U.S. population to 334,914,895. While the increase is historically low, it’s higher than those seen in 2022 (0.4%) and 2021 (0.2%).
“Although births declined, this was tempered by the near 9% decrease in deaths,” said demographer Kristie Wilder of the bureau’s population division. “Ultimately, fewer deaths paired with rebounding immigration resulted in the nation experiencing its largest population gain since 2018.”
Growth driven by the South
Most of that growth took place in the South, the bureau said, which accounted for a whopping 87% of the rise. The nation’s most populous region – the only region to maintain population growth throughout the pandemic – added more than 1.4 million residents, bringing its total to more than 130 million.
Domestic migration comprised the bulk of the South’s growth in 2023, with more than 706,000 people moving to the region – which the bureau designates as stretching from Texas to Delaware – from other parts of the country and net international migration accounting for nearly 500,000 new residents.
Texas added more residents than any other state, gaining more than 473,000 people, followed by Florida’s 365,000 new inhabitants. South Carolina and Florida were the country’s two fastest-growing states, with their 2023 populations rising by 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively.
Dowell Myers, a professor of public policy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said Southern states such as Florida and South Carolina serve as retirement meccas, while Texas' thriving urban culture and high-tech job market have been draws for young people.
“Young people go to Texas looking for jobs,” Myers said. “Texas looks more like California today than what it used to be. The culture has changed, and the cities are more appealing to the rest of the nation.”
More states see gains since pandemic began
All told, 42 states saw population gains, the highest number of states adding residents since the start of the pandemic, up from 31 in 2022 and 34 in 2021.
The Midwest added more than 126,000 residents for a moderate gain of 0.2%, reversing two years of decline thanks to fewer people leaving the region and rises in international migration. Indiana, Ohio and Minnesota all saw gains, the Census Bureau said.
Population gains slowed in the West, which added more than 137,000 residents in 2023 compared to more than 157,000 in 2022. Alaska and New Mexico saw gains after losing population the previous year, while population losses slowed in California, Oregon and Hawaii.
Population declines also slowed in the Northeast, which lost 43,000-plus residents in 2023 compared to more than 216,000 in 2022 and 187,000 in 2021.
Besides Alaska and New Mexico, nine states that experienced population losses last year saw gains in 2023: New Jersey, which added 30,024 residents; Ohio (26.238); Minnesota (23,615), Massachusetts (18,659), Maryland (16,272), Michigan (3,980), Kansas (3,830), Rhode Island (2,120), and Mississippi (762).
Eight states saw population declines: California, which lost 75,423 residents; Hawaii (-4,261), Illinois (-32,826), Louisiana (-14,274), New York (-101,984), Oregon (-6,021), Pennsylvania (-10,408), and West Virginia (-3,964).
While most of those states have lost residents annually since 2020, their declines have slowed, the bureau said.
Could Texas' rising population see a downturn?
Despite Texas' rise in population, Myers said that given the state's political climate, he doesn’t necessarily expect that to continue.
“The thing to watch right now is the rightward swing,” he said. “Texas didn’t used to be as oppressive as it is now, and I think it will dampen their migration. The battles over abortion there and in Florida are going to discourage young people from moving in.”
“Texas is more vulnerable to political backlash and the threats to lifestyle being flagrantly advertised by the governor,” he said. “Austin has the biggest drop in house prices in the nation. There’s something happening there.”
