South Carolina was the fastest-growing state in 2023, census data shows

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Americans are on the move again and the Palmetto State is a top destination, new U.S. Census data shows.

According to census data released Tuesday, South Carolina’s population grew by 1.7% from July 2022 to 2023, ranking it the fastest-growing state in the nation.

Texas and Florida followed closely behind in percentage growth at 1.6%. Those two states also saw the largest numeric growth gaining 473,453 people and 365,205 people, respectively.

South Carolina, however, ranked fifth among states by numeric growth. The state added 90,600 people in a year, bringing the total population to approximately 5,373,555 people.

“South Carolina is full of opportunity, and when combined with our rich culture, beautiful landscapes, and strong economy, there is no better place in the world to call home,” Gov. Henry McMaster wrote in a Dec. 20 post on X (formerly Twitter).

The South led the way in population growth, the report found, accounting for 87% of the overall growth in the last year. The region gained more than 1.4 million residents for a total population of more than 130 million people.

“The South is the only region to have maintained population growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” the report states. “The growth in 2023 can largely be attributed to the region’s migration patterns as 706,266 people were added via net domestic migration, while net international migrations contributed almost 500,000 to the total.”

After two consecutive years in decline, the Midwest saw a moderate population growth of 0.2%, equal to about 126,000 residents. The West also expanded slightly, gaining just over 137,000 people, with Alaska and New Mexico rebounding from population losses the year prior.

“California, Oregon and Hawaii continued to lose population but at a more modest pace than the prior year,” the report found.

The Northeast was the only region in the U.S. to see a decline in population in 2023, losing about 43,000 people, but the report found that the decline was “considerably smaller” than the previous two years.

Here are the 10 states that saw the fastest rate of growth:

1. South Carolina: 1.7%
2. Florida: 1.6%
3. Texas: 1.6%
4. Idaho: 1.3%
5. North Carolina: 1.3%
6. Delaware: 1.2%
7. District of Columbia: 1.2%
8. Tennessee: 1.1%
9. Utah: 1.1%
10. Georgia: 1.1%

Here are the 10 states that saw the largest numeric population growth:

1. Texas: 473,453
2. Florida: 365,205
3. North Carolina: 139,526
4. Georgia: 116,077
5. South Carolina: 90,600
6. Tennessee: 77,513
7. Arizona: 65,660
8. Virginia: 36,599
9. Colorado: 36,571
10. Utah: 36,498