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Growth rankings · 50 states · Census, IRS, BLS

Fastest Growing States 2026: Population Growth Ranked Best to Worst

Idaho is the fastest growing state in 2026, with a growth score of 72.6 out of 100, ahead of South Carolina and North Carolina; California ranks last. South Carolina grew fastest in the latest Census estimates, +1.5% in a year. Five states lost people: Vermont the largest share and California the most people.

This page ranks every state on population growth, net moves from other states, and jobs, then breaks each state's growth into births, immigration, and domestic moves from the latest Census estimates. It also shows where people are moving to and from, and the fastest growing cities. How the score works →

#1 for growth · Grade A+
Idaho72.6
Growth score out of 100
Population change, latest year
+1.4%
Net moves from other states
+19,915
Overall rank
#4
Full Idaho profile →

Pick your state to see where it ranks for growth, the numbers behind its rank, and how it compares with the #1 state. We'll remember it on the other ranking pages.

US Population Growth by the Numbers

The national figures every state is measured against, from the latest Census Bureau estimates and IRS migration files.

US population
341.8M
+0.5% in the latest year · 1.0% a year earlier
People added
1,781,060
71% from net international migration
States that grew
45 of 50
5 lost people · largest % loss Vermont · most people lost California
Fastest growing state
+1.5%
South Carolina · most people added: Texas
Households that changed states
3.9M
Tax returns filed from a new state · IRS
Average growth score
38.8
Median state: 40.4
Read the national overview

The US population grew 0.5% in the latest Census estimates, to about 341.8 million, after 1.0% the year before. Births outnumbered deaths by 518,858, and net international migration added 1,262,202, so immigration supplied about 71% of the country's growth. Moves between states net to zero nationally but decide which states win: 31 states gained residents from the rest of the country and 19 lost them. 45 states grew overall and 5 shrank (Vermont, Hawaii, West Virginia, New Mexico, and California). Growth slowed in 46 states compared with the prior year. The South leads the growth ranking with an average score of 46.7, against 31.6 in the Northeast.

Growth Score Map: All 50 States

Darker states score higher for growth. Hover, focus, or tap a state to see its growth rank, score, and grade in the panel.

See the migration map →Create your own population map →

Fastest and Slowest Growing States

The 10 highest and 10 lowest growth scores, with each state's latest population change, net moves per 1,000 residents, and overall rank. Idaho leads; California is last.

Top 10 fastest growing states

Score · grade
  1. 1Idaho+1.4% pop. · +9.9/1K moves · #4 overall72.6A+
  2. 2South Carolina+1.5% pop. · +12.0/1K moves · #36 overall71.0A+
  3. 3North Carolina+1.3% pop. · +7.6/1K moves · #23 overall65.6A+
  4. 4South Dakota+0.9% pop. · +2.3/1K moves · #3 overall60.3A+
  5. 5Tennessee+0.9% pop. · +5.8/1K moves · #24 overall56.9A+
  6. 6Montana+0.6% pop. · +5.6/1K moves · #7 overall53.6A
  7. 7Alabama+0.6% pop. · +4.5/1K moves · #37 overall53.6A
  8. 8North Dakota+0.8% pop. · +0.6/1K moves · #5 overall51.7A
  9. 9Texas+1.3% pop. · +2.1/1K moves · #32 overall51.7A
  10. 10Georgia+0.9% pop. · +2.4/1K moves · #26 overall51.5A

10 slowest growing states

Score · grade
  1. 50California-0.02% pop. · -5.8/1K moves · #47 overall6.1F
  2. 49Alaska+0.1% pop. · -6.1/1K moves · #42 overall13.4F
  3. 48New York+0.01% pop. · -6.9/1K moves · #29 overall14.0D
  4. 47Massachusetts+0.2% pop. · -4.7/1K moves · #13 overall19.4D
  5. 46New Jersey+0.4% pop. · -3.9/1K moves · #28 overall19.7D
  6. 45Illinois+0.1% pop. · -3.1/1K moves · #39 overall20.0D
  7. 44Louisiana+0.07% pop. · -3.1/1K moves · #50 overall21.1D
  8. 43New Mexico-0.06% pop. · -1.1/1K moves · #49 overall23.2D
  9. 42Oregon+0.2% pop. · +0.5/1K moves · #35 overall23.2C
  10. 41Michigan+0.3% pop. · +0.2/1K moves · #45 overall24.3C

Population Growth by State: Who Gained and Who Lost

Raw population change in the latest Census estimates, before any scoring. South Carolina grew fastest (+1.5%); Texas added the most people (391,243). Vermont, Hawaii, West Virginia, New Mexico, and California lost population.

Fastest growing by percent

  1. 1South Carolina+79,958 people · #2 for growth+1.5%
  2. 2Idaho+28,861 people · #1 for growth+1.4%
  3. 3North Carolina+145,907 people · #3 for growth+1.3%
  4. 4Texas+391,243 people · #9 for growth+1.3%
  5. 5Utah+35,921 people · #11 for growth+1.0%
  6. 6Delaware+9,829 people · #13 for growth+0.9%
  7. 7Washington+73,062 people · #24 for growth+0.9%
  8. 8Arizona+67,394 people · #16 for growth+0.9%
  9. 9Georgia+98,540 people · #10 for growth+0.9%
  10. 10Tennessee+63,785 people · #5 for growth+0.9%

Slowest growing and shrinking

  1. 50Vermont-1,858 people · #36 for growth-0.3%
  2. 49Hawaii-2,132 people · #40 for growth-0.2%
  3. 48West Virginia-1,255 people · #31 for growth-0.07%
  4. 47New Mexico-1,276 people · #43 for growth-0.06%
  5. 46California-9,465 people · #50 for growth-0.02%
  6. 45New York+1,008 people · #48 for growth+0.01%
  7. 44Louisiana+3,311 people · #44 for growth+0.07%
  8. 43Alaska+733 people · #49 for growth+0.1%
  9. 42Pennsylvania+13,584 people · #39 for growth+0.1%
  10. 41Illinois+16,108 people · #45 for growth+0.1%

Most people added

  1. 1Texas+1.3% · immigration led+391,243
  2. 2Florida+0.9% · immigration led+196,680
  3. 3North Carolina+1.3% · domestic moves led+145,907
  4. 4Georgia+0.9% · immigration led+98,540
  5. 5South Carolina+1.5% · domestic moves led+79,958
  6. 6Washington+0.9% · immigration led+73,062
  7. 7Arizona+0.9% · domestic moves led+67,394
  8. 8Tennessee+0.9% · domestic moves led+63,785
  9. 9Virginia+0.7% · immigration led+60,465
  10. 10New Jersey+0.4% · immigration led+41,861

Latest year, July to July. Since the last census, Idaho has grown the most (+10.4%) and Hawaii, West Virginia, New York, Louisiana, Illinois, California, and Mississippi are smaller.

Why States Grow: Births, Immigration, and Moves

Every state's change is the sum of three parts: births minus deaths, net international migration, and net moves to and from other states. Immigration is the largest source of growth in 27 states, moves from other states in 15, and births in 3.

Where growth came from in the 15 fastest growing states

#StatePop. changeBirths − deathsImmigrationDomestic movesMain source
1South Carolina+1.5%+564+12,930+66,622Moves from other states
2Idaho+1.4%+6,900+2,148+19,915Moves from other states
3North Carolina+1.3%+15,129+46,890+84,064Moves from other states
4Texas+1.3%+157,711+167,475+67,299Immigration
5Utah+1.0%+24,961+7,501+3,343Births over deaths
6Delaware+0.9%-554+3,473+6,855Moves from other states
7Washington+0.9%+17,230+46,202+9,238Immigration
8Arizona+0.9%+7,649+28,219+31,107Moves from other states
9Georgia+0.9%+28,631+42,579+27,333Immigration
10Tennessee+0.9%+3,597+17,990+42,389Moves from other states
11Nevada+0.9%+3,051+10,551+14,914Moves from other states
12South Dakota+0.9%+2,605+3,183+2,169Immigration
13Florida+0.9%-1,333+178,674+22,517Immigration
14North Dakota+0.8%+2,630+2,810+512Immigration
15Virginia+0.7%+13,817+40,436+6,268Immigration

People, latest year. The three parts do not add exactly to the total because the Census Bureau carries a small statistical residual. Per-1,000 rates for every state are in the full table below.

Grew despite losing people to other states

  1. 1Nebraska-366 to other states · +6,599 from abroad+0.6%
  2. 2New Jersey-37,428 to other states · +53,064 from abroad+0.4%
  3. 3Colorado-12,100 to other states · +15,356 from abroad+0.4%
  4. 4Kansas-519 to other states · +7,440 from abroad+0.4%
  5. 5Connecticut-5,945 to other states · +17,534 from abroad+0.4%
  6. 6Rhode Island-1,551 to other states · +5,923 from abroad+0.4%
  7. 7Maryland-12,127 to other states · +20,503 from abroad+0.3%
  8. 8Iowa-970 to other states · +5,903 from abroad+0.3%

15 states in all; showing the eight fastest growing.

Most deaths over births

  1. 1West Virginia-7,887 people · pop. -0.07%-4.5/1K
  2. 2Maine-5,019 people · pop. +0.5%-3.6/1K
  3. 3Vermont-1,769 people · pop. -0.3%-2.7/1K
  4. 4New Hampshire-2,167 people · pop. +0.5%-1.5/1K
  5. 5Mississippi-2,607 people · pop. +0.1%-0.9/1K
  6. 6Oregon-3,764 people · pop. +0.2%-0.9/1K
  7. 7New Mexico-1,885 people · pop. -0.06%-0.9/1K
  8. 8Pennsylvania-10,708 people · pop. +0.1%-0.8/1K

17 states recorded more deaths than births. Utah has the highest natural increase (+7.1 per 1,000).

Highest immigration rate

  1. 1Florida+178,674 people · #20 for growth+7.6/1K
  2. 2Washington+46,202 people · #24 for growth+5.8/1K
  3. 3New Jersey+53,064 people · #46 for growth+5.6/1K
  4. 4Massachusetts+40,240 people · #47 for growth+5.6/1K
  5. 5Texas+167,475 people · #9 for growth+5.3/1K
  6. 6Rhode Island+5,923 people · #38 for growth+5.3/1K
  7. 7Connecticut+17,534 people · #32 for growth+4.8/1K
  8. 8New York+95,634 people · #48 for growth+4.8/1K
Census population estimates →

Where People Are Moving To and From

Net moves between states per 1,000 residents in the latest Census estimates, and the busiest state-to-state routes in IRS tax returns. South Carolina gains the most newcomers for its size; New York loses the most.

States people are moving to · net domestic moves per 1,000
States people are leaving · net domestic moves per 1,000

The 10 busiest moving routes

#From → toHouseholdsReverseAvg. incomePeople (Census)Compare
1California → Texas44,41724,970$107,27377.2K ±9.1KCA vs. TX →
2New York → New Jersey43,69926,793$116,96656.8K ±8.2KNY vs. NJ →
3New York → Florida43,18722,011$133,21850.7K ±6.7KNY vs. FL →
4California → Arizona28,40216,283$87,55652.4K ±6.9KCA vs. AZ →
5Florida → Georgia28,26323,475$65,13452.4K ±8.3KFL vs. GA →
6New Jersey → New York26,79343,699$110,79636.0K ±5.8KNJ vs. NY →
7California → Nevada26,21014,775$102,57253.3K ±7.0KCA vs. NV →
8Texas → California24,97044,417$95,48645.4K ±6.6KTX vs. CA →
9California → Washington24,62517,871$111,50743.9K ±5.5KCA vs. WA →
10Florida → Texas24,19620,050$70,03452.2K ±8.6KFL vs. TX →

Households are tax returns filed from a different state than the year before (IRS Statistics of Income); a dash means the reverse route is not in either state's top 10. People are Census American Community Survey estimates with a 90% margin of error. The IRS and Census agree on whether a state gains or loses movers in 44 of 50 states.

Explore every state's migration →IRS migration data →

All 50 States Ranked by Growth

Every state's growth score with its latest population change and the three parts behind it, IRS household moves, and unemployment. Click a column header to re-sort, search for a state, or filter by region or population trend. The # column is always the growth rank, even after you filter.

Population
50 states
#GradeRegion
1Idaho72.6+1.4%+28,861+3.4+1.1+9.9+5,8113.7%#4A+West
2South Carolina71.0+1.5%+79,958+0.1+2.3+12.0+29,2144.5%#36A+South
3North Carolina65.6+1.3%+145,907+1.4+4.2+7.6+39,1183.8%#23A+South
4South Dakota60.3+0.9%+7,984+2.8+3.4+2.3+1,5392.1%#3A+Midwest
5Tennessee56.9+0.9%+63,785+0.5+2.5+5.8+24,1043.5%#24A+South
6Montana53.6+0.6%+7,137-0.1+0.8+5.6+3,0963.3%#7AWest
7Alabama53.6+0.6%+30,033-0.4+1.7+4.5+6,2022.9%#37ASouth
8North Dakota51.7+0.8%+5,971+3.3+3.5+0.6-462.6%#5AMidwest
9Texas51.7+1.3%+391,243+5.0+5.3+2.1+56,4734.2%#32ASouth
10Georgia51.5+0.9%+98,540+2.5+3.8+2.4+14,6713.4%#26ASouth
11Utah50.0+1.0%+35,921+7.1+2.1+0.9+3,1643.6%#6B+West
12New Hampshire49.9+0.5%+6,824-1.5+1.7+4.6+2,1683.2%#1B+Northeast
13Delaware49.9+0.9%+9,829-0.5+3.3+6.5+4,0544.8%#30B+Northeast
14Maine49.2+0.5%+6,436-3.6+2.9+5.2+3,6713.4%#9B+Northeast
15Oklahoma48.9+0.6%+25,530+0.6+2.0+3.5+5,4143.4%#43B+South
16Arizona48.3+0.9%+67,394+1.0+3.7+4.1+17,3164.3%#38B+West
17Arkansas45.8+0.6%+18,711-0.4+1.8+4.7+5,2694.1%#48B+South
18Nebraska45.2+0.6%+12,415+3.1+3.3-0.2-1,4843%#10B+Midwest
19Virginia45.1+0.7%+60,465+1.6+4.6+0.7+4213.4%#15BSouth
20Florida44.9+0.9%+196,680-0.1+7.6+1.0+55,3493.9%#21BSouth
21Indiana42.7+0.6%+38,579+1.2+2.6+1.8-1,2683.7%#22BMidwest
22Wyoming42.5+0.4%+2,031+0.5+0.4+2.5+1873.4%#2BWest
23Nevada41.9+0.9%+28,645+0.9+3.2+4.6+8,9775.3%#40BWest
24Washington40.8+0.9%+73,062+2.2+5.8+1.2+9,8394.7%#20BWest
25Minnesota40.7+0.6%+33,000+2.1+2.1+1.4-5,1063.9%#12BMidwest
26Wisconsin40.0+0.3%+15,619+0.2+1.2+1.2+5163.2%#11BMidwest
27Missouri39.0+0.4%+26,9970.0+2.0+2.2+2,7944%#34C+Midwest
28Kansas35.6+0.4%+11,968+1.7+2.5-0.2-3,2723.8%#27C+Midwest
29Iowa35.0+0.3%+7,933+0.9+1.8-0.3-2,4143.5%#14C+Midwest
30Kentucky34.9+0.5%+22,8180.0+3.4+1.6+2,1584.6%#41C+South
31West Virginia31.4-0.07%-1,255-4.5+0.1+3.6+8794.2%#44C+South
32Connecticut31.3+0.4%+14,047+0.6+4.8-1.6-5,6744%#16C+Northeast
33Colorado31.0+0.4%+24,059+3.4+2.6-2.0+11,3414%#18C+West
34Ohio31.0+0.3%+39,889-0.1+2.4+1.0-7,9944.6%#33C+Midwest
35Mississippi30.9+0.1%+3,988-0.9+2.5-0.3-3,1253.8%#46CSouth
36Vermont29.9-0.3%-1,858-2.7+1.0-1.1-2992.7%#8CNortheast
37Maryland29.8+0.3%+20,033+1.8+3.3-1.9-13,6284%#31CNortheast
38Rhode Island27.9+0.4%+4,106-0.3+5.3-1.4-1294.5%#19CNortheast
39Pennsylvania26.8+0.1%+13,584-0.8+2.1-0.2-12,0954.3%#25CNortheast
40Hawaii25.3-0.2%-2,132+1.4+3.3-6.2-2,5972.4%#17CWest
41Michigan24.3+0.3%+27,922-0.5+3.0+0.2-8,7705.2%#45CMidwest
42Oregon23.2+0.2%+8,262-0.9+2.3+0.5-455.2%#35CWest
43New Mexico23.2-0.06%-1,276-0.9+1.4-1.1-2134.2%#49DWest
44Louisiana21.1+0.07%+3,311+0.6+3.2-3.1-10,1294.3%#50DSouth
45Illinois20.0+0.1%+16,108+0.9+3.5-3.1-28,6094.6%#39DMidwest
46New Jersey19.7+0.4%+41,861+2.7+5.6-3.9-19,3705.2%#28DNortheast
47Massachusetts19.4+0.2%+15,524+1.2+5.6-4.7-15,3784.5%#13DNortheast
48New York14.0+0.01%+1,008+2.1+4.8-6.9-71,9874.3%#29DNortheast
49Alaska13.4+0.1%+733+4.5+2.7-6.1-1,3894.7%#42FWest
50California6.1-0.02%-9,465+2.8+2.8-5.8-100,3975.5%#47FWest

Score combines population growth (40%), net domestic migration per 1,000 residents (35%) and the unemployment rate (25%, inverted), each on a fixed 0-100 scale; hover a score for its inputs. Pop. change, People added and the three per-1,000 columns come from the latest Census Bureau population estimates (components do not sum exactly to the total because of a small statistical residual). IRS net households counts tax returns filed from a new state; click it for that state's migration page. Overall is the state's rank across all 11 categories.

The Fastest Growing Cities in America

One-year population change for the 331 tracked cities with at least 100,000 residents and a growth figure in the same Census estimates. Goodyear, AZ leads at +6.5%. Of these cities, 208 grew, 102 shrank, and 21 were unchanged to one decimal.

#CityGrowthPopulationUnemp.Median age
1GoodyearAZ+6.5%107,6454.1%42.1
2BuckeyeAZ+5.5%104,9234.5%35.7
3New BraunfelsTX+5.1%104,6433.3%37.1
4Palm BayFL+4.8%130,1324.3%41
5SurpriseAZ+4.6%154,9483.9%41.4
6ConroeTX+4.3%102,3604%33.7
7Round RockTX+4.2%127,7863.4%36.2
8McKinneyTX+3.7%210,6003.8%36.9
9Port St. LucieFL+3.5%232,4914.3%43.9
10MidlandTX+2.4%136,6403.1%31.5
11MeridianID+2.4%130,1383%37.5
12NampaID+2.4%110,3193.6%33.9
13RosevilleCA+2.3%155,9554.1%40.2
14CharlotteNC+2.2%903,8444%34.5
15LewisvilleTX+2.2%131,0803.6%35

Texas (6), Arizona (3), and Florida (2) supply the most cities on this list. Growth is the one-year change in the Census Bureau's latest population estimates; population is the Census American Community Survey figure used across the site. Smaller places can post bigger percentages, so the list starts at 100,000 residents.

Shrinking cities of 100,000+

1-yr change
  1. 1Clearwater, FL117,247 residents-1.5%
  2. 2Miami Gardens, FL113,177 residents-1.3%
  3. 3Escondido, CA149,668 residents-1.2%
  4. 4Thousand Oaks, CA125,205 residents-1.1%
  5. 5Sugar Land, TX110,016 residents-1.1%
  6. 6Centennial, CO108,201 residents-1.1%
  7. 7El Cajon, CA104,449 residents-1.1%
  8. 8Inglewood, CA104,569 residents-1.0%
  9. 9Hialeah, FL226,165 residents-0.9%
  10. 10Carrollton, TX133,740 residents-0.9%
Search all 1,312 cities →

How the Growth Score Is Calculated

Three inputs on fixed scales, weighted into one score. Here is what each number means, where it comes from, and what it leaves out.

Population growth

40%

Annual percent change in population, scored from -0.3% (0 points) to 2% (100). Growth faster than the top of the band still counts as 100.

Net domestic migration

35%

People moving in from other states minus people moving out, per 1,000 residents, scored from -6.5 to 13. It isolates people choosing a state, leaving out births, deaths, and immigration.

Unemployment

25%

The BLS unemployment rate, inverted and scored from 5.5% (0) down to 2% (100). It checks that newcomers are finding work, not just arriving.

Fixed scales, not a curve

Each input maps onto 0-100 between fixed bounds, so close states get close scores and every state can improve at once. Values outside a band count as 0 or 100.

Letter grades

Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1-5, A for 6-10, B+ for 11-18, B for 19-26, C+ for 27-34, C for 35-42, D for 43-48, and F for 49-50.

Weight in the overall score

7%

Growth is one of 11 categories in each state's composite score, weighted at 7%. See the overall rankings →

Shown but not scored

Births, deaths and international migration from the Census components of change, IRS household flows, Census ACS people flows, and city growth. They explain the score; they do not change it.

Always the latest releases

This page is rebuilt from the most recent file each source has published (checked October 2026). The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each winter and the IRS its migration files about two years after the tax year.

Read the full methodology →

Key Takeaways

Patterns in the growth data that the table alone does not show.

  1. The South owns the top of the table

    6 of the 10 fastest growing states are in the South: South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, and Georgia. 4 of the bottom 10 are in the West: Oregon, New Mexico, Alaska, and California. By population, the South grew fastest in the latest Census estimates.

  2. Immigration now drives most US growth

    The US added 1,781,060 people in the latest year. Net international migration supplied 1,262,202 of them, about 71%, while births outnumbered deaths by 518,858. In 15 states, including Nebraska, New Jersey, and Colorado, more residents left for other states than arrived, yet the population still grew.

  3. Growth slowed in 46 of 50 states

    National population growth went from 1.0% in the prior year to 0.5% in the latest. Of the 50 states, 46 grew more slowly than a year earlier, 2 faster, and 2 at the same rate.

  4. South Carolina wins the moving contest

    South Carolina gained 12.0 residents per 1,000 from other states in the latest year, the highest rate in the country. New York lost the most per resident (-6.9 per 1,000). 31 states gained people from the rest of the country and 19 lost them. IRS tax returns tell the same story: Texas gained the most households (56.5K net) and California lost the most (100.4K).

  5. 17 states have more deaths than births

    West Virginia, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Mississippi, and 12 more recorded more deaths than births in the latest year. Maine, New Hampshire, and Mississippi still grew because newcomers made up the difference. Utah has the largest natural increase, +7.1 per 1,000 residents.

  6. Big states split in two

    Among the 10 most populous states, North Carolina ranks #3 for growth and California #50. Texas added the most people of any state (391,243), while South Carolina grew fastest in percentage terms (+1.5%).

  7. The fastest growing cities cluster in Texas and Arizona

    Texas (6), Arizona (3), and Florida (2) hold 11 of the 15 fastest growing cities with at least 100,000 residents. Goodyear, AZ leads at +6.5% in a year. Of the 331 cities that size, 208 grew, 102 shrank, and 21 were unchanged to one decimal.

Average growth score by region

Mean growth score of the states in each Census region, with the region's population change in the latest year.

  1. 1South14 states · +0.9% pop.46.7
  2. 2Midwest12 states · +0.4% pop.38.8
  3. 3West13 states · +0.3% pop.36.3
  4. 4Northeast11 states · +0.2% pop.31.6

The South added 1,139,714 people in the latest year, including a net 367,190 from other regions.

Go Deeper

Migration flows by state →

Where each state's newcomers come from and where its leavers go, with movers' incomes.

Housing market by state →

Home values, rents and affordability in fast-growing and shrinking states.

Best states to move to →

Six lifestyle rankings for families, retirees, remote workers and more.

State economy rankings →

Unemployment, income and GDP for all 50 states.

Compare two states →

Growth, cost of living and every other category side by side.

Affordability calculator →

What your income leaves after housing, taxes and bills in each state.

Other categoriesEconomySafetyHealthEducationFiscal HealthAffordabilityEnvironmentOutdoor AccessTransportationLivability
Migration by stateSouth CarolinaIdahoNorth CarolinaDelawareTennessee

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest growing state in 2026?

Idaho is the fastest growing state in 2026 by this ranking, with a growth score of 72.6 out of 100, ahead of South Carolina (71.0) and North Carolina (65.6). In the latest Census estimates its population grew +1.4% (+28,861 people), the #2 rate in the country, and it gained +9.9 residents per 1,000 from other states. By raw percentage alone, South Carolina grew fastest at +1.5%.

What are the 10 fastest growing states?

By growth score, the top 10 are Idaho (72.6), South Carolina (71.0), North Carolina (65.6), South Dakota (60.3), Tennessee (56.9), Montana (53.6), Alabama (53.6), North Dakota (51.7), Texas (51.7), and Georgia (51.5). By population change alone in the latest Census estimates, the 10 fastest are South Carolina (+1.5%), Idaho (+1.4%), North Carolina (+1.3%), Texas (+1.3%), Utah (+1.0%), Delaware (+0.9%), Washington (+0.9%), Arizona (+0.9%), Georgia (+0.9%), and Tennessee (+0.9%).

Which states are losing population?

5 states lost population in the latest Census estimates: Vermont (-1,858, -0.3%), Hawaii (-2,132, -0.2%), West Virginia (-1,255, -0.07%), New Mexico (-1,276, -0.06%), and California (-9,465, -0.02%). Since the last census, Hawaii, West Virginia, New York, Louisiana, Illinois, California, and Mississippi are smaller than they were.

Which state ranks last for growth?

California ranks #50 for growth with a score of 6.1, after Alaska (13.4) and New York (14.0). Its weakest input is unemployment: in the latest Census estimates it lost 229,077 residents to other states and its population changed -0.02%, with unemployment at 5.5%.

Why is Idaho growing so fast?

Moves from other states are the main source. In the latest year Idaho gained +19,915 people from other states, +2,148 from abroad, and +6,900 from births over deaths. The largest single source of new households, by IRS tax returns, is California. Its unemployment rate is 3.7%, so newcomers are finding work.

Which state gained the most people?

Texas added the most people in the latest Census estimates: 391,243, followed by Florida (196,680), North Carolina (145,907), and Georgia (98,540). Together the top four account for 47% of the country's growth.

How fast is the US population growing?

The US population grew 0.5% in the latest Census estimates, to about 341.8 million, a gain of 1,781,060. Growth was 1.0% a year earlier. Births exceeded deaths by 518,858 and net international migration added 1,262,202. Since the last census the population is up 3.1%.

What states are people moving to?

By Census estimates of moves between states, South Carolina (+12.0 per 1,000), Idaho (+9.9 per 1,000), North Carolina (+7.6 per 1,000), Delaware (+6.5 per 1,000), and Tennessee (+5.8 per 1,000) gained the most residents relative to their size. In raw numbers from IRS tax returns, Texas (56.5K households), Florida (55.3K households), North Carolina (39.1K households), South Carolina (29.2K households), and Tennessee (24.1K households) gained the most. See americadashboard.com/migration for every state's origins and destinations.

What states are people leaving?

New York (-6.9 per 1,000), Hawaii (-6.2 per 1,000), Alaska (-6.1 per 1,000), California (-5.8 per 1,000), and Massachusetts (-4.7 per 1,000) lost the most residents to other states relative to their size in the latest Census estimates. IRS tax returns show the largest net household losses in California (100.4K), New York (72.0K), Illinois (28.6K), New Jersey (19.4K), and Massachusetts (15.4K). Losing people to other states does not always mean shrinking: immigration and births can make up the difference.

What is the most common state-to-state move?

The largest single moving route in the IRS data is California to Texas: 44,417 households, against 24,970 moving the other way. Census survey data counts about 77,161 people on the same route. Compare the two states at americadashboard.com/compare/california-vs-texas.

How much of population growth comes from immigration?

Nationally, net international migration added 1,262,202 people in the latest year, about 71% of total growth. Florida had the highest rate, +7.6 per 1,000 residents. Immigration is the largest source of growth in 27 states, including South Dakota, North Dakota, Texas, and Georgia.

Which states have more deaths than births?

17 states recorded more deaths than births in the latest Census estimates: West Virginia, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Oregon, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Michigan, Alabama, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Montana, Florida, Ohio, and Kentucky. West Virginia has the steepest natural decrease at -4.5 per 1,000 residents. These states grow only when newcomers outnumber the gap.

How is the growth score calculated?

The growth score combines three inputs on fixed scales: annual population growth (40%, scored between -0.3% and 2%), net domestic migration per 1,000 residents (35%, between -6.5 and 13), and the unemployment rate (25%, inverted, between 2% and 5.5%). Values outside a band count as 0 or 100. The Census components of change, IRS flows, and city growth on this page are shown alongside but are not scored.

What are the fastest growing cities in America?

Among cities with at least 100,000 residents, the fastest growing in the latest Census estimates are Goodyear, AZ (+6.5%), Buckeye, AZ (+5.5%), New Braunfels, TX (+5.1%), Palm Bay, FL (+4.8%), and Surprise, AZ (+4.6%). Of the 331 cities that size, 208 grew, 102 shrank, and 21 were unchanged to one decimal. Search every tracked city at americadashboard.com/cities.

Which region is growing fastest?

The South grew fastest in the latest Census estimates (+0.9%), followed by the Midwest (+0.4%), West (+0.3%), and Northeast (+0.2%). By average growth score the South leads at 46.7.

Where do California, Texas, Florida, and New York rank for growth?

California ranks #50 (-0.02% in the latest year, -5.8 per 1,000 from domestic moves), Texas ranks #9 (+1.3% in the latest year, +2.1 per 1,000 from domestic moves), Florida ranks #20 (+0.9% in the latest year, +1.0 per 1,000 from domestic moves), and New York ranks #48 (+0.01% in the latest year, -6.9 per 1,000 from domestic moves). Among the 10 most populous states, North Carolina ranks highest at #3.

Is fast population growth good for a state?

It usually signals jobs: the 10 fastest growing states average 3.4% unemployment against 4.8% in the bottom 10. But growth is not the same as quality of life. Idaho, #1 for growth, ranks #4 overall, and fast growth can push up housing costs and strain roads and schools. Check americadashboard.com/housing for how home values have moved in each state.

How much does growth count in the overall state rankings?

Growth is 7% of each state's composite score, one of 11 categories. Idaho, #1 for growth, ranks #4 overall; California, #50 for growth, ranks #47 overall.

Do IRS and Census migration numbers agree?

Mostly. IRS tax returns count households that filed from a new state; the Census American Community Survey counts people and carries a margin of error. The two agree on whether a state gained or lost movers in 44 of 50 states. The Census population estimates used for the components of change are a third, modeled source.

Where does the growth data come from, and how current is it?

Population totals and components of change (births, deaths, international and domestic migration) come from the latest Census Bureau Population Estimates, released each winter. State-to-state moves come from the IRS Statistics of Income migration files (households) and the Census American Community Survey (people). Unemployment comes from the BLS. City growth is the one-year change in the same Census estimates. The page is rebuilt when a source publishes a new release.

Growth Rank for Every State

Every state's growth rank, latest population change, and net moves from other states. Click through for the full profile.