The U.S. Just Had Its Largest Population Gain Since 2018

America is growing again, as annual deaths fell by 9% and migration increased, even though the number of births declined. The result was the nation’s largest population gain since 2018. These are the findings of the Vintage 2023 population estimates just released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The more than 1.6 million new inhabitants brought the country’s total population to 334,914,895.

The increase in the nation’s population remains historically low, but the 0.5% growth beats the 0.4% increase in 2022 and the 0.2% recorded in 2021.

Southern states gained the lion’s share of the new additions. Their populations grew by 1,423,260 souls in total, or 1.1%. In absolute numbers, Texas was the big winner nationally, adding 473,453 residents (1.6%), followed by Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina.

The West grew by 0.2% or 137,299 – less than in 2022 due to outmigration. California, Oregon and Hawaii continued to lose population but at a lower rate, while Alaska and New Mexico gained.

The Midwest added 126,255 for a 0.2% growth rate that reversed two years of population loss. The Midwest’s gain was due to lower outmigration and international migration. Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio grew, and the drain of people from Illinois slowed.

The South was the only region to continue to grow its population throughout the Covid-19 epidemic. Domestic migration in 2023 added 706,266 people and net international migration another 500,000. However, while in 2022 Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia accounted for 93% of the nation’s population growth, in 2023 that share diminished to just 67%. South Carolina had the nation’s highest growth rate at 1.7%.

The Northeast was the only region to see its population drop, mainly because of declines in New York and Pennsylvania, but lower outmigration meant the loss was less than in 2021 and 2022.

In all, 42 states plus the District of Columbia gained population, reflecting “both the broad national trends of deaths and net international migration returning to pre-COVID levels as well as reduced net domestic outmigration for some of the states,” the Census reported.

Eight states saw their population fall in 2023: California (-75,423), Hawaii (-4,261), Illinois (-32,826), Louisiana (-14,274), New York (-101,984), Oregon (-6,021), Pennsylvania (-10,408), and West Virginia (-3,964).

Puerto Rico continued to lose residents but at a lower rate. However, for the first time since Covid broke out it experienced positive net migration, offset by fewer births and more deaths for a loss of 0.4%, compared to 1.3% in 2022.

Even though California saw a loss of population, it remained the most populous in the nation with 38,965,193 inhabitants. Others in the top 10 by rank were Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan.