Southern states grew fastest in 2022, Census data shows

The West also saw some growth.

by Kevin Accettulla, Alix Martichoux and Nexstar Media Wire | Dec. 22, 2022

Florida was the fastest growing state in 2022, the Census Bureau said. (Getty Images)

Story at a glance

Southern states grew by more than 1.3 million people in 2022.

Meanwhile, Northeastern states lost about 219,000 residents and the Midwest lost about 49,000.

The declines in both areas are due to people moving elsewhere in the country.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — While the Northeast and Midwest are losing residents, Southern states grew by more than 1.3 million people in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Southern states as a whole grew by 1.1 percent, driven largely by both domestic and international migration. Births outpacing deaths represented a much smaller part of the area’s population growth.

Meanwhile, Northeastern states lost about 219,000 residents and the Midwest lost about 49,000. The declines in both areas are due to people moving elsewhere in the country, the Census data shows.

The only other region to gain residents was the West, but the area’s growth was much smaller. According to Census data, Western states gained 153,601 residents, an increase of 0.2 percent.

Top 10 states that grew the most (by percent):

Florida (1.9%)
Idaho (1.8%)
South Carolina (1.7%)
Texas (1.6%)
South Dakota (1.5%)
Montana (1.5%)
Delaware (1.4%)
Arizona (1.3%)
North Carolina (1.3%)
Utah (1.2%)

New York, Illinois, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Hawaii were the states that saw the biggest percentage decline in 2022, according to the data. No state shrunk by more than 1 percentage point.

The 10 states that shrunk the most (by percent):

New York (-0.9%)
Illinois (-0.8%)
Louisiana (-0.8%)
West Virginia (-0.6%)
Hawaii (-0.5%)
Oregon (-0.4%)
Mississippi (-0.3%)
Pennsylvania (-0.3%)
Rhode Island (-0.3%)
California (-0.3%)

Data shows the U.S. population grew by 1,256,003, or 0.4 percent, in 2022. The Census said 2022 saw a return to pre-pandemic population growth.

“There was a sizeable uptick in population growth last year compared to the prior year’s historically low increase,” Kristie Wilder, a demographer at the Census Bureau said in a statement. “A rebound in net international migration, coupled with the largest year-over-year increase in total births since 2007, is behind this increase.”