Discover the 10 Fastest-Growing States

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.  

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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.

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