Discover the 10 Fastest-Growing States

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Written by Kyle Glatz

Updated: November 18, 2023

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The population of the United States has grown significantly in recent years. The United States census of 2020 found that the U.S. population grew to 331,449,281, an increase of 22,703,743 from the last census in 2010. That represented a growth of about 7.4 percent. However, not every state grew at the same rate. Today, we’re going to look at the 10 fastest-growing states and see which states are increasing in population and popularity with people from this country.  

Infographic of the top 10 Fastest Growing States in the U.S.
Explore the 10 fastest-growing states and see which are increasing in popularity.

What Are the Fastest-Growing States?

Now that three years have passed since the last census was administered, the data gathered in 2020 is no longer the most accurate. That means the best way to consider the fastest-growing states is to use the official estimates from the United States Census Bureau.

Miami-Dade County

Many states are seeing vast increases in people even when birth rates are low.

Using the data concerning the numeric population growth, we’ll see which states are estimated to have experienced the greatest population growth. To be clear, the data released by the U.S. Census Bureau is based on estimates between the years 2021 and 2022.

10. Idaho

Flag of Idaho

Idaho’s population grew by over 34,000 people.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
1,904,3141,939,03334,719

The population of Idaho increased by 34,000 people between 2021 and 2022. When considering the state’s growth as a percentage of its existing population, Idaho is the second fastest-growing state in the United States. The primary reason for this state’s expansion is simple: people are moving into Idaho from other states!

9. Utah

Park City Utah

People take vacations to Utah, making tourism a big industry in the area.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
3,339,1133,380,80041,687

Utah may not seem like a state that will experience sudden, great population growth. However, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the state gained roughly 41,687 residents from 2021 to 2022. That’s an overall increase of 1.2%. Some sources suggest that the growth of tech jobs in the region along with a lower cost of living and access to outdoor areas make Utah a desirable place to live these days.

8. Washington

The state flag of Washington

The state flag of Washington consists of the state seal, displaying an image of state namesake George Washington.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
7,740,7457,785,78645,041

Washington joins Idaho and Utah as a third west-coast state that experienced a great amount of population growth in the last year. Over 45,000 more people live in the state than they did before. The primary driver of growth in the state appears to be people moving to the region as the South and West continue to grow faster than other parts of the country.  

7. Tennessee

The Tennessee State Flag With The American Flag

Tennessee’s population growth is spurred by people seeking a better climate and new jobs.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
6,968,3517,051,339            82,988

Tennessee is a fast-growing state that saw almost 83,000 new people move to the area in 2022. That net increase in people came as a surprise because Tennessee recorded more deaths than births in the last year. Again, people seem to be leaving states like New York and California and moving to places with lower costs of living, like Tennessee.  

6. South Carolina

The South Carolina state flag

South Carolina saw an increase of almost 90,000 people.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
5,193,2665,282,63489,368

South Carolina saw an increase of almost 90,000 people, representing a 1.7% increase in the number of people in the state. Economic opportunities seem to be a driving force behind people moving to South Carolina. After all, domestic migration was the biggest cause for the increase in state population rather than births. The state’s warm weather, coastal location, and jobs market attract people from other states.

5. Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

Arizona’s warm climate attracts people who want to leave behind brutally cold winters.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
7,264,8777,359,19794,320

Arizona may not have the most hospitable environment, but the cities and towns in the state attract many new people. From 2021 to 2022, 94,320 people moved to the town. Arizona saw increasing numbers of births along with more international migrants coming to the area.

4. Georgia

The state of Georgia experienced significant growth in its cities.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
10,788,029          10,912,876124,847

Georgia ranks eighth on the list of the most populous states in the United States. That rank could rise if the population keeps growing at its current pace. Over 124,000 people came to Georgia, an increase of 1.16%. The strong jobs market is partially responsible for more people moving to the metro areas of Georgia, like Atlanta.

3. North Carolina

flag of North Carolina

North Carolina is a coastal state with a low cost of living compared to the Northeast.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
10,565,88510,698,973133,088

Like many other states on this list, domestic migration is a major reason that North Carolina continues its rapid growth. Over 133,000 people came to the state between 2021 and 2022. That makes North Carolina the third fastest-growing state in the U.S. Not only is North Carolina attracting people within the borders of the U.S., but about 20% of the new arrivals are from foreign countries.

2. Florida

Florida state sign

Florida features a warm climate, many jobs, and other factors that make it attractive for residents.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
21,828,069          22,244,823          416,754

Florida had a massive increase of people between 2021 and 2022, gaining 416,754 new residents. While this is the highest percent change of any state, 1.9%, Florida is the second-fastest growing state by population increase alone. The warm weather, financial benefits, and low cost of living outside of cities continue to propel the state’s population growth.

1. Texas

The cities in Texas are growing rapidly as people and businesses seek favorable conditions.

2021 Estimated Population2022 Estimated PopulationNumerical Growth
29,558,864          30,029,572470,708

Texas is the fastest-growing state in the United States as measured by the number of people coming to the state from 2021 to 2022. Like most other states on the list, Texas’ population continues to grow as people move to this state from others in the country and abroad. The state’s climate, cost of living, job market, and other factors are causing an influx of people to this area.  

Now that we know the fastest-growing states, one more question remains. Why are some states growing so quickly compared to others? Many reasons exist that these states had the greatest number of people move to them. Some of the reasons include:

  1. Cheaper cost of living
  2. Lower taxes
  3. Warm weather
  4. Access to education
  5. Desire to live in less densely-populated parts of the country

These are some of the broad reasons that people have decided to move to the aforementioned states. The advent of greater numbers of people engaging in remote work probably helped bolster some of these states’ populations as well. The next census could provide more insights into where people settled and why.

Honorable Mentions: 3 More Fastest-Growing States

From the years 2021-2022, there were other states that ranked high in overall population growth.

  • South Dakota This state had a population of 886,677 in 2021, and grew to 909,824 in 2022, increasing by 1.52% (numerical growth of 23,147).
  • Montana Montana grew by 1.5% (numerical growth of 16,640) in its population, going from 1,106,227 residents in 2021 to 1,122,867 in 2022.
  • Delaware While Delaware is one of the smallest U.S. states, that doesn’t lower it in terms of popularity. The population went from 1,004,807 in 2021 to 1,018,396 in 2022–an increase of 1.35% (numerical growth of 13,589). 

Summary of the 10 Fastest-Growing States

Let’s take a look back at the 10 US states that are making a mark for growing faster than all the rest.

RankStateNumerical Growth
1Texas470,708
2Florida416,754
3North Carolina133,088
4Georgia124,847
5Arizona94,320
6South Carolina89,368
7Tennessee82,988
8Washington45,041
9Utah41,687
10Idaho34,719


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About the Author

Kyle Glatz is a writer at A-Z-Animals where his primary focus is on geography and mammals. Kyle has been writing for researching and writing about animals and numerous other topics for 10 years, and he holds a Bachelor's Degree in English and Education from Rowan University. A resident of New Jersey, Kyle enjoys reading, writing, and playing video games.

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