Latest State Population Statistics, Maps & Tables

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released updated population counts for U.S. states. The date for the official numbers is always July 1 of any given year. Therefore, the latest figures are for July 1, 2018. This article will first set out some of the highlights and then delve into the detail.

Latest State Population Statistics, Maps & Tables Graphic

Highlights:

(1) Whether year-over-year percentage changes in population are calculated for latest year, latest two years or latest three years, the same three states – Nevada, Idaho and Utah – have led the country.

(2) Over the past three years, two states have added more than one million residents each – Texas and Florida.

(3) Over the past three years, two states have experienced population declines of more than -100,000 each – Illinois and New York; over the past year, those same two states have seen their populations drop by more than -45,000 each.

(4) The latest one-year population change for the entire U.S. has been +0.62%, or +2.0 million people in nominal terms. From a construction point of view, it’s worth noting that an extra couple of million inhabitants is the equivalent of adding two new Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) to the landscape.

(5) During the latest year, the South and West Regions have tied for fastest population growth, +0.9% each; the Midwest (+0.2%) and Northeast (+0.1%) have experienced only minimal gains.

(6) During the latest year (July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018), Florida was home to the greatest domestic migration, +133,000.

Detail:

Four states remain dominant in the U.S. for the population counts – California (39.6 million); Texas (28.7 million); Florida (21.3 million); and New York (19.5 million).

With respect to level of population, there is still considerable separation between the front four and fifth-place Pennsylvania (12.8 million), followed by sixth-place Illinois (12.7 million).

One in three Americans lives in one of the four frontrunners. But while Texas, California and Florida are continuing to add citizens, New York is not. New York has shed 119,000 residents over the past three years and nearly 50,000 over the past year alone.

In nominal terms, Texas has been adding more people than Florida over both the latest three years (+1.2 million vs. +1.1 million) and the latest year (+379,000 vs. +323,000). What’s also interesting, though, is that both Texas and Florida have had nominal increases about double what California has encountered.

In percentage terms, the ordering of the big four states has been Florida (+5.3%), Texas (+4.4%), California (+1.6%) and New York (-0.6%) over the past three years (i.e., from July 1, 2015 to July 1, 2018) and Florida (+1.5%), Texas (+1.3%), California (+0.4%) and New York (-0.2%) over the past single year (i.e., from July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018).

Comparing all states and D.C., Nevada (+5.8% over three years and +2.1% over one year), Idaho (+6.2% and +2.1%) and Utah (+6.0% and +1.9%) have been the brightest lights for population percentage change.

But those three states have relatively small population counts (i.e., slightly over 3.0 million for Utah and Nevada and a little less than 2.0 million for Idaho.) A smaller base makes it easier to achieve a larger percentage-change jump.

Dark-Horse Winners:

It’s the six states with nominal changes (either over the past three years or latest single year) just behind California in the rankings that warrant some special attention. Those six states are: Arizona (+123,000 in latest year), North Carolina (+113,000), Washington (+110,000), Georgia (+106,000), Colorado (+80,000) and South Carolina (+63,000).

Those same six states are also within the Top 15 for percentage changes, whether it be over three years, two years or one year, with Arizona, Colorado and Washington especially strong.

Availability of jobs in cutting-edge/high-tech industries and/or more appealing weather are often the draws that attract population flows. (In turn, population increases translate into all manner of construction undertakings.)

Moving to the opposite end of the spectrum, there have been nine states with population shrinkage over the past year: Mississippi (-0.1%); Wyoming, Louisiana and New York (each -0.2%); Hawaii and Alaska (each -0.3%); Illinois (-0.4%) and West Virginia (-0.6%).

There has been essentially no population change over the latest year in Connecticut, Kansas and Rhode Island.

Maps and Tables:

Accompanying this article are two maps. The first map, with various shades of green (see legend), shows the 17 states, plus District of Columbia, where population growth over the latest three years has been greater than the total U.S. percentage change of +2.0%.

Map 1: U.S. Population – State Comparisons, Ranking by % Change, July 2015 to July 2018
(greater than the nation-wide rate of +2.0%)

Map 1: U.S. Population - State Comparisons, July 2015 to July 2018 (greater than the nation-wide rate of +2.0%)

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Graphic: ConstructConnect.

The second map, with various shades of blue and gray, shows the 33 states where the rate of population change over the past three years has been either equal to or less than the national figure of +2.0%.

Blue shadings in Map 2 are for states with three-year population changes lying between 0.0% and +2.0%. While advancing more slowly than the ‘green’ states in Map 1, they have still been on the positive side of the ledger.

Gray shadings in Map 2 are for states with negative population change over the latest three years.

Map 2: U.S. Population – State Comparisons, Ranking by % Change, July 2015 to July 2018
(equal to or less than the nation-wide rate of +2.0%)

Map 1: U.S. Population - State Comparisons, July 2015 to July 2018 (equal to or less than the nation-wide rate of +2.0%)

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Graphic: ConstructConnect.

Also appearing below are six tables ranking states by population levels, nominal changes (one-year and three-year) and percentage changes (one-year, two-year and three-year).

Tables: U.S. States – Population

			Table 2: Ranking by Nominal Change −
Table 1: Ranking by Latest Level			Latest 3 Years

					July 1, 2015
		July 1, 2018			to July 1, 2018

1	California	39,557,045	1	Texas	1,215,031
2	Texas	28,701,845	2	Florida	1,075,076
3	Florida	21,299,325	3	California	603,903
4	New York	19,542,209	4	Washington	372,048
5	Pennsylvania	12,807,060	5	North Carolina	350,541
6	Illinois	12,741,080	6	Georgia	338,364
7	Ohio	11,689,442	7	Arizona	338,050
8	Georgia	10,519,475	8	Colorado	243,457
9	North Carolina	10,383,620	9	South Carolina	191,874
10	Michigan	9,995,915	10	Tennessee	179,202
11	New Jersey	8,908,520	11	Utah	178,608
12	Virginia	8,517,685	12	Oregon	173,795
13	Washington	7,535,591	13	Nevada	165,726
14	Arizona	7,171,646	14	Virginia	154,778
15	Massachusetts	6,902,149	15	Minnesota	128,676
16	Tennessee	6,770,010	16	Massachusetts	106,258
17	Indiana	6,691,878	17	Idaho	102,685
18	Missouri	6,126,452	18	Indiana	83,582
19	Maryland	6,042,718	19	Ohio	71,592
20	Wisconsin	5,813,568	20	Michigan	63,342
21	Colorado	5,695,564	21	Maryland	56,001
22	Minnesota	5,611,179	22	Missouri	54,707
23	South Carolina	5,084,127	23	Wisconsin	52,162
24	Alabama	4,887,871	24	Kentucky	42,403
25	Louisiana	4,659,978	25	Nebraska	37,761
26	Kentucky	4,468,402	26	New Jersey	37,651
27	Oregon	4,190,713	27	Arkansas	35,418
28	Oklahoma	3,943,079	28	Alabama	34,711
29	Connecticut	3,572,665	29	Iowa	34,685
30	Utah	3,161,105	30	Oklahoma	33,248
31	Iowa	3,156,145	31	Montana	31,802
32	Nevada	3,034,392	32	South Dakota	28,302
33	Arkansas	3,013,825	33	District of Columbia	27,201
34	Mississippi	2,986,530	34	Delaware	25,758
35	Kansas	2,911,505	35	Pennsylvania	21,301
36	New Mexico	2,095,428	36	New Hampshire	20,164
37	Nebraska	1,929,268	37	Maine	9,920
38	West Virginia	1,805,832	38	North Dakota	6,055
39	Idaho	1,754,208	39	New Mexico	5,217
40	Hawaii	1,420,491	40	Kansas	2,003
41	New Hampshire	1,356,458	41	Rhode Island	1,142
42	Maine	1,338,404	42	Vermont	1,102
43	Montana	1,062,305	43	Alaska	-109
44	Rhode Island	1,057,315	44	Hawaii	-1,993
45	Delaware	967,171	45	Mississippi	-2,163
46	South Dakota	882,235	46	Louisiana	-4,873
47	North Dakota	760,077	47	Wyoming	-7,931
48	Alaska	737,438	48	Connecticut	-14,844
49	District of Columbia	702,455	49	West Virginia	-36,164
50	Vermont	626,299	50	New York	-119,202
51	Wyoming	577,737	51	Illinois	-123,262

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Tables: ConstructConnect.

Table 3: Ranking by Nominal Change −			Table 4: Ranking by % Change −
Latest Year			Latest 3 Years

		July 1, 2017			July 1, 2015
		to July 1, 2018			to July 1, 2018

1	Texas	379,128	1	Idaho	6.2%
2	Florida	322,513	2	Utah	6.0%
3	California	157,696	3	Nevada	5.8%
4	Arizona	122,770	4	Florida	5.3%
5	North Carolina	112,820	5	Washington	5.2%
6	Washington	110,159	6	Arizona	4.9%
7	Georgia	106,420	7	Colorado	4.5%
8	Colorado	79,662	8	Texas	4.4%
9	South Carolina	62,908	9	Oregon	4.3%
10	Nevada	61,987	10	District of Columbia	4.0%
11	Tennessee	61,216	11	South Carolina	3.9%
12	Utah	57,987	12	North Carolina	3.5%
13	Virginia	52,478	13	Georgia	3.3%
14	Oregon	44,121	14	South Dakota	3.3%
15	Minnesota	43,024	15	Montana	3.1%
16	Massachusetts	38,903	16	Delaware	2.7%
17	Idaho	35,304	17	Tennessee	2.7%
18	Indiana	31,796	18	Minnesota	2.3%
19	Ohio	25,313	19	Nebraska	2.0%
20	Wisconsin	21,517	20	Virginia	1.9%
21	New Jersey	19,977	21	Massachusetts	1.6%
22	Michigan	19,468	22	California	1.6%
23	Missouri	17,840	23	New Hampshire	1.5%
24	Maryland	17,827	24	Indiana	1.3%
25	Pennsylvania	16,613	25	Arkansas	1.2%
26	Kentucky	14,528	26	Iowa	1.1%
27	Alabama	12,751	27	Kentucky	1.0%
28	Iowa	12,508	28	Maryland	0.9%
29	Nebraska	11,693	29	Wisconsin	0.9%
30	Arkansas	10,828	30	Missouri	0.9%
31	Oklahoma	10,439	31	Oklahoma	0.9%
32	Delaware	10,093	32	North Dakota	0.8%
33	Montana	9,215	33	Maine	0.7%
34	South Dakota	8,949	34	Alabama	0.7%
35	District of Columbia	6,764	35	Michigan	0.6%
36	New Hampshire	6,691	36	Ohio	0.6%
37	North Dakota	4,901	37	New Jersey	0.4%
38	Maine	3,341	38	New Mexico	0.2%
39	New Mexico	2,033	39	Vermont	0.2%
40	Vermont	1,774	40	Pennsylvania	0.2%
41	Rhode Island	829	41	Rhode Island	0.1%
42	Kansas	816	42	Kansas	0.1%
43	Wyoming	-1,197	43	Alaska	0.0%
44	Connecticut	-1,215	44	Mississippi	-0.1%
45	Alaska	-2,348	45	Louisiana	-0.1%
46	Mississippi	-3,133	46	Hawaii	-0.1%
47	Hawaii	-3,712	47	Connecticut	-0.4%
48	Louisiana	-10,840	48	New York	-0.6%
49	West Virginia	-11,216	49	Illinois	-1.0%
50	Illinois	-45,116	50	Wyoming	-1.4%
51	New York	-48,510	51	West Virginia	-2.0%

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Tables: ConstructConnect.

Table 5: Ranking by % Change −			Table 6: Ranking by % Change −
Latest 2 Years			Latest Year

		July 1, 2016			July 1, 2017
		to July 1, 2018			to July 1, 2018

1	Idaho	4.2%	1	Nevada	2.1%
2	Nevada	3.9%	2	Idaho	2.1%
3	Utah	3.9%	3	Utah	1.9%
4	Washington	3.3%	4	Arizona	1.7%
5	Arizona	3.3%	5	Florida	1.5%
6	Florida	3.2%	6	Washington	1.5%
7	Colorado	2.8%	7	Colorado	1.4%
8	Texas	2.7%	8	Texas	1.3%
9	South Carolina	2.5%	9	South Carolina	1.3%
10	Oregon	2.4%	10	North Carolina	1.1%
11	District of Columbia	2.3%	11	Oregon	1.1%
12	South Dakota	2.2%	12	Delaware	1.1%
13	North Carolina	2.2%	13	South Dakota	1.0%
14	Georgia	2.1%	14	Georgia	1.0%
15	Montana	2.1%	15	District of Columbia	1.0%
16	Delaware	1.9%	16	Tennessee	0.9%
17	Tennessee	1.9%	17	Montana	0.9%
18	Minnesota	1.6%	18	Minnesota	0.8%
19	Virginia	1.3%	19	North Dakota	0.6%
20	Nebraska	1.2%	20	Virginia	0.6%
21	Massachusetts	1.1%	21	Nebraska	0.6%
22	New Hampshire	1.0%	22	Massachusetts	0.6%
23	California	0.9%	23	New Hampshire	0.5%
24	Indiana	0.9%	24	Indiana	0.5%
25	Arkansas	0.8%	25	California	0.4%
26	Iowa	0.8%	26	Iowa	0.4%
27	North Dakota	0.8%	27	Wisconsin	0.4%
28	Wisconsin	0.7%	28	Arkansas	0.4%
29	Kentucky	0.7%	29	Kentucky	0.3%
30	Missouri	0.6%	30	Maryland	0.3%
31	Maryland	0.6%	31	Missouri	0.3%
32	Maine	0.5%	32	Vermont	0.3%
33	Alabama	0.5%	33	Oklahoma	0.3%
34	Ohio	0.5%	34	Alabama	0.3%
35	Michigan	0.4%	35	Maine	0.3%
36	Vermont	0.4%	36	New Jersey	0.2%
37	Oklahoma	0.4%	37	Ohio	0.2%
38	New Jersey	0.4%	38	Michigan	0.2%
39	Pennsylvania	0.2%	39	Pennsylvania	0.1%
40	New Mexico	0.1%	40	New Mexico	0.1%
41	Rhode Island	0.0%	41	Rhode Island	0.1%
42	Kansas	0.0%	42	Kansas	0.0%
43	Mississippi	-0.1%	43	Connecticut	0.0%
44	Connecticut	-0.2%	44	Mississippi	-0.1%
45	Louisiana	-0.4%	45	Wyoming	-0.2%
46	New York	-0.5%	46	Louisiana	-0.2%
47	Hawaii	-0.5%	47	New York	-0.2%
48	Alaska	-0.5%	48	Hawaii	-0.3%
49	Illinois	-0.7%	49	Alaska	-0.3%
50	Wyoming	-1.1%	50	Illinois	-0.4%
51	West Virginia	-1.4%	51	West Virginia	-0.6%