A greater sense of freedom as a result of a growing work-from-home labor force and a yearning for more affordable living has caused significant changes in the United States migration patterns, with some states adding substantial numbers to their population in 2023 while others lost big.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, The South, the nation's most populous region, is the only region to have maintained population growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth is largely attributed to migration, with 706,266 people added via net domestic migration. 500,000 were also added via international migration.
The West also grew in 2023, with 137,299 people added this year. However, the population of the Northeast has continued to decline this year, with a net loss of 43,330 people. It is worth noting that the number is much lower than the Northeast's massive population loss in 2022 (down 216,576).
Overall, 42 states and the District of Columbia saw their populations increase in 2022. However, the growth was significantly higher in some states versus others.
"U.S. migration returning to pre-pandemic levels and a drop in deaths are driving the nation's growth," said Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau. "Although births declined, this was tempered by the near 9% decrease in deaths. Ultimately, fewer deaths paired with rebounding immigration resulted in the nation experiencing its largest population gain since 2018."
California was the biggest loser of 2023, with the state shedding 75,423 people.
According to California's non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) report released in early December, the state's budget deficit has grown exponentially in just a few months, up more than $54 billion from just $14.3 billion in June.
California saw its first-ever population decline in 2020 when the state imposed rigid lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. From January 2020 to July 2022, the state lost well over half a million people, with the number of residents leaving surpassing those moving in by almost 700,000.
In 2023, Hawaii (-4,261), Illinois (-32,826), Louisiana (-14,274), New York (-101,984), Oregon (-6,021), Pennsylvania (-10,408), and West Virginia (-3,964) also all saw their populations fall this year.
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Earlier this year, VonFinch Capital founder and real estate investor Steven Pesavento told Fox News Digital that during the pandemic, employees realized they no longer needed to live in the cities where they worked, which created new opportunities for a flexible lifestyle.
Many northeastern states, especially those with liberal governments, he said, saw population declines as Americans searched for better home prices and taxes.
"It opened up an opportunity for them to get away from, you know, the high cost of living, the kind of oppressive civil policies and business policies, the high taxes, all of those things that they were willing to stay put over because it was what they needed for their job," Pesavento said.
Notably, 11 states that saw a population decline in 2022 are now seeing a recovery. Those states were New Jersey (30,024), Ohio (26,238), Minnesota (23,615), Massachusetts (18,659), Maryland (16,272), Michigan (3,980), Kansas (3,830), Rhode Island (2,120), New Mexico (895), Mississippi (762), and Alaska (130).
Two states in particular, Texas and Florida, saw drastic population growth that was much higher than that of other states in the country.
Texas experienced the largest numeric change in the nation, adding 473,453 people, followed by Florida, which added 365,205 residents. South Carolina and Florida were the two fastest-growing states in the nation, growing by 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively.
This was followed by North Carolina (139,526), Georgia (116,077), South Carolina (90,600), Tennessee (77,513), Arizona (65,660), Virginia (36,599), Colorado (36,571) and Utah (36,498).
Across all generations, four reasons came out on top for why Americans chose to move in 2023: To have more affordable housing or lower cost of living, move to a safer area, relocate for a new job, be closer to friends and family, and live in an area more aligned with their beliefs.
The Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) also found that the percentage of movers reporting housing unit upgrades declined.
"This decline suggests a reversal of a boom in housing demand that happened in 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic," the report said.
The share of movers who reported wanting a better neighborhood or less crime experienced a similar decline following a surge early in the pandemic.
