State and Province Population Growth Rate Maps

This article features U.S. and Canadian maps with color-coding to highlight the varying speeds of population change in states and provinces. For the U.S., the annual population comparisons are July 1, 2017 versus July 1, 2016. For Canada, the time frame is Q4 2017 versus Q4 2016. Q4 is as at October 1st.

2018-01-08-Population-Growth-Graphic

In both maps, blue shading represents growth rates equal to or lower than the country-wide performance. Green shading is for growth rates exceeding the country-wide level.

Do please note, however, that the country-wide rate of population growth for Canada, at +1.3%, has been nearly twice as fast as for the U.S., +0.7%.

A rule of thumb often stated or adopted is that the U.S. has a population ten times bigger than Canada’s. While that’s a close approximation, the truer ratio is nine-to-one.

The current population estimate for Canada is 36.9 million; for the U.S., 325.7 million. The math works out as follows: 36.9 ÷ 325.7 = 11% (or one-ninth).

The latest national, state and provincial population statistics yield a wealth of interesting material. The following observations arise from ‘playing’ with the numbers.

The summed populations of the four largest U.S. states, at 109 million, is 33.4% (or one-third) of the U.S. total.

Another way to express the above is to say that one in three Americans lives in California, Texas, Florida or New York.

The populations of Florida (21.0 million) and New York (19.8 million) come close to being equal.

California’s population (39.5 million), however, is about the same as Florida and New York combined.

The population of California has become surprisingly large. It’s more than the population of Canada (36.9 million). It’s 12% (or one-eighth) of the population of the entire U.S.

Stated plainly, one out of every eight Americans lives in California.

U.S. – State Population Growth Rates

2018-01-08-US-Economy-in-Maps-Population

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

Table 1: U.S. States – Population

Rank	Level (July 1, 2017)		Rank	% Change (Jul 17 vs Jul 16)

1	California	39,536,653	1	Idaho	2.2%
2	Texas	28,304,596	2	Nevada	2.0%
3	Florida	20,984,400	3	Utah	1.9%
4	New York	19,849,399	4	Washington	1.7%
5	Pennsylvania	12,805,537	5	Florida	1.6%
6	Illinois	12,802,023	6	Arizona	1.6%
7	Ohio	11,658,609	7	Texas	1.4%
8	Georgia	10,429,379	8	District of Columbia	1.4%
9	North Carolina	10,273,419	9	Colorado	1.4%
10	Michigan	9,962,311	10	Oregon	1.4%
11	New Jersey	9,005,644	11	South Carolina	1.3%
12	Virginia	8,470,020	12	North Carolina	1.1%
13	Washington	7,405,743	13	Montana	1.1%
14	Arizona	7,016,270	14	Georgia	1.1%
15	Massachusetts	6,859,819	15	Tennessee	1.0%
16	Tennessee	6,715,984	16	Delaware	1.0%
17	Indiana	6,666,818	17	South Dakota	0.9%
18	Missouri	6,113,532	18	Minnesota	0.9%
19	Maryland	6,052,177	19	Virginia	0.7%
20	Wisconsin	5,795,483	20	Nebraska	0.7%
21	Colorado	5,607,154	21	California	0.6%
22	Minnesota	5,576,606	22	New Hampshire	0.6%
23	South Carolina	5,024,369	23	Arkansas	0.5%
24	Alabama	4,874,747	24	Massachusetts	0.5%
25	Louisiana	4,684,333	25	Indiana	0.5%
26	Kentucky	4,454,189	26	Iowa	0.5%
27	Oregon	4,142,776	27	Maryland	0.5%
28	Oklahoma	3,930,864	28	Maine	0.4%
29	Connecticut	3,588,184	29	Kentucky	0.4%
30	Iowa	3,145,711	30	Wisconsin	0.4%
31	Utah	3,101,833	31	Missouri	0.4%
32	Arkansas	3,004,279	32	Ohio	0.3%
33	Nevada	2,998,039	33	New Jersey	0.3%
34	Mississippi	2,984,100	34	Alabama	0.3%
35	Kansas	2,913,123	35	Michigan	0.3%
36	New Mexico	2,088,070	36	Oklahoma	0.2%
37	Nebraska	1,920,076	37	Rhode Island	0.2%
38	West Virginia	1,815,857	38	Kansas	0.2%
39	Idaho	1,716,943	39	Pennsylvania	0.1%
40	Hawaii	1,427,538	40	New Mexico	0.1%
41	New Hampshire	1,342,795	41	New York	0.1%
42	Maine	1,335,907	42	Vermont	0.0%
43	Rhode Island	1,059,639	43	Connecticut	0.0%
44	Montana	1,050,493	44	North Dakota	0.0%
45	Delaware	961,939	45	Louisiana	0.0%
46	South Dakota	869,666	46	Mississippi	0.0%
47	North Dakota	755,393	47	Hawaii	-0.1%
48	Alaska	739,795	48	Alaska	-0.2%
49	District of Columbia	693,972	49	Illinois	-0.3%
50	Vermont	623,657	50	West Virginia	-0.7%
51	Wyoming	579,315	51	Wyoming	-1.0%
Total U.S.		325,719,178			0.7%

Rankings are based on more than one decimal point.

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

In Canada, two out of every five residents live in Ontario.

Ontario’s population makes up nearly 40% of the Canadian total. Quebec accounts for a little less than 25%.

There are similar large population blocs in the U.S. The South is almost 40% of the total America figure and the West is just under one-quarter.

While California has a higher population count than Texas (i.e., 39.5 million versus 28.3 million), the latter is beating the former in annual increments.

Texas added 400,000 residents in the past year to California’s extra 240,000. (Florida was in second place with 328,000 more citizens from mid-2016 to mid-2017.)

At +400,000 per annum, Texas is elevating its population count with astonishing speed.

The latest year’s total U.S. population increase was +2.3 million. It’s the South (+1.0% annually) and the West (also +1.0%) where the major gains are occurring. The Northeast (+0.2%) and Midwest (+0.3%) are dragging their feet.

In Canada, before the 2014 collapse in energy prices, Alberta (at +2.0% per annum or more) habitually led provincial population gains.

Now, however, it’s Ontario (+1.6%) and Manitoba (+1.5%) that are in the forefront. P.E.I. (+1.8%) is also a frontrunner with respect to percentage gain, but it has a low population base.

Canada’s latest annual population climb was +470,000. Between two-thirds and three-quarters of Canada’s increase each year comes from net immigration.

The latest U.S. net foreign migration number was +1.1 million.

Going forward, the Trump administration in Washington wants to significantly curb immigration. Taking the opposite stance is one of the core principles of the Trudeau government in Ottawa.

Canada – Provincial Population Growth Rates

2018-01-08-Canada-Economy-in-Maps-Population

Data source: Statistics Canada.
Graphic: ConstructConnect.

Table 2: Canada Provinces – Population

Rank	Level (Q4 2017)		Rank	% Change (Q4 17 vs Q4 16)

1	Ontario	14,279,196	1	Nunavut	2.6%
2	Quebec	8,425,996	2	Prince Edward Island	1.8%
3	British Columbia	4,841,078	3	Ontario	1.6%
4	Alberta	4,306,039	4	Manitoba	1.5%
5	Manitoba	1,343,371	5	Yukon	1.3%
6	Saskatchewan	1,168,057	6	British Columbia	1.3%
7	Nova Scotia	957,600	7	Alberta	1.3%
8	New Brunswick	760,868	8	Saskatchewan	1.3%
9	Newfoundland & Lab.	528,430	9	Quebec	1.0%
10	Prince Edward Island	152,784	10	Northwest Territories	0.7%
11	Northwest Territories	44,718	11	Nova Scotia	0.7%
12	Yukon	38,669	12	New Brunswick	0.3%
13	Nunavut	38,243	13	Newfoundland & Lab.	-0.4%
Total Canada		36,885,049			1.3%