A recent surge in immigration fueled a significant rise in the U.S. population this year. New U.S. Census Bureau estimates reveal a national increase of approximately 3.3 million residents, offsetting a continued decline in births. This growth represents the largest single-year increase since 2001.
Texas and Florida led the way in population growth, collectively adding over one million people between mid-2023 and mid-2024, accounting for nearly one-third of the nation’s overall population increase. This growth encompasses births, deaths, immigration, and internal migration. The national growth, at 3.3 million, surpasses the 2.8 million increase in 2023 and the 1.9 million increase in 2022. The surge was notably driven by a 21% increase in net immigration.
Immigration’s impact was widespread. According to William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, immigration accounted for all or nearly all the population growth in 18 states across the country. Frey highlighted the significance of this trend, stating, “This points up the importance of immigration, not just to a couple of big states but to a broad swath of our country. It’s going to be very welcome in a lot of places that would not be gaining many people or [would be] losing people because of lower fertility and higher deaths.” Immigration growth varied across states, ranging from approximately 69,000 in Florida and California and 57,000 in Texas to a few hundred in states like Montana and Wyoming. The percentage increase in the immigrant population ranged from 19% in Alaska to 36% in Montana.
States like California and Illinois, which experienced population losses earlier in the decade, saw growth this past year. This growth could significantly impact their congressional representation after the 2030 census. Kimball Brace, a redistricting expert, suggests that continued growth could reduce California’s projected House seat loss from four to three, and Illinois’s from two to one. Florida’s growth, while slowing, might also result in one fewer congressional seat gained than previously predicted. Brace commented, “Clearly immigration is coming into play — a couple years ago you had people talking about California going off the deep end [with population loss] and now it doesn’t look so deep.”
California ranked third nationally in new residents (approximately 233,000), followed by North Carolina (165,000) and New York (130,000). Illinois gained about 68,000 residents, and Louisiana approximately 9,700. Florida and Texas led in percentage change, each growing by about 2%, followed by Utah (1.8%), South Carolina and Nevada (both 1.7%), and Idaho and North Carolina (both 1.5%). Only three states—West Virginia, Vermont, and Mississippi—experienced minor population losses.
In Texas, the growth was concentrated in major cities. Houston, Austin, and Dallas added nearly 40,000 new housing units, while Collin County, a Dallas suburb, added over 16,000 units last year and almost 64,000 since 2020. Florida’s growth was concentrated in Jacksonville, Port St. Lucie, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando. A surplus of births over deaths contributed significantly to population growth in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. New York City’s increased housing construction helped counter net losses from outward migration.
While Texas, the Carolinas, Florida, and Tennessee saw significant in-migration, the numbers decreased from the previous year due to high interest rates and housing costs.
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