Current:Home > BackImmigration helped fuel rise in 2023 US population. Here's where the most growth happened.-InfoLens
Immigration helped fuel rise in 2023 US population. Here's where the most growth happened.
View Date:2024-12-23 15:35:16
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 from other parts of the country and net international migration accounting for nearly 500,000 new residents.
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 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.
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.
Eleven of those 42 states had seen losses the previous year: 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), New Mexico (895), Mississippi (762), and Alaska (130).
Eight states saw population declines in 2023: 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.
veryGood! (99881)
Related
- Mark Zuckerberg Records NSFW Song Get Low for Priscilla Chan on Anniversary
- How Angus Cloud Is Being Honored By His Hometown Days After His Death
- 2 US Navy sailors arrested on charges tied to national security and China
- Father dies after rescuing his three children from New Jersey waterway
- Get Your Home Holiday-Ready & Decluttered With These Storage Solutions Starting at $14
- Who is Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing the DOJ's Trump probes?
- Idris Elba is the hero we need in 'Hijack'
- 'God, sex and death': Rick Springfield discusses the tenants of his music
- Former West Virginia jail officer pleads guilty to civil rights violation in fatal assault on inmate
- Trump back in DC after 3rd indictment, a look at possible co-conspirators: 5 Things podcast
Ranking
- Tech consultant testifies that ‘bad joke’ led to deadly clash with Cash App founder Bob Lee
- Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health
- How much money do you need to retire? Americans have a magic number — and it's big.
- Kidnapping in Haiti of U.S. nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter sparks protests as locals demand release
- Crews battle 'rapid spread' conditions against Jennings Creek fire in Northeast
- New York City train derailment leaves several passengers with minor injuries
- Woman escapes kidnapper's cell in Oregon; FBI searching for more victims in other states
- Keep quiet, put down the phone: Bad behavior in blockbusters sparks theater-etiquette discussion
Recommendation
-
Fire crews on both US coasts battle wildfires, 1 dead; Veterans Day ceremony postponed
-
100 years after a president's death, a look at the prediction that haunted his first lady
-
FSU will consider leaving the ACC without ‘radical change’ to revenue model, school’s president says
-
Lizzo’s Former Creative Director and Documentary Filmmaker Speak Out Against Singer
-
Manhattan rooftop fire sends plumes of dark smoke into skyline
-
Lizzo Breaks Silence on False and Outrageous Lawsuit Allegations
-
Trump's latest indictment splits his rivals for the 2024 GOP nomination
-
$4 million settlement for family of man who died covered in bug bites at Georgia jail