More and more citizens are choosing to live in states where it is easier for business to prosper, where the employment rate is rising steadily or where there are fewer obstacles to a more comfortable life. The two states that attracted the most people in 2022 were Texas and Florida.
According to Census Bureau data, the Lone Star State (+470,708 citizens) and the Sunshine State (+416,754) led the ranking of states with the largest population increase in 2022. Between the two, they totaled 52,274,395 residents in 2022 (30,029,572 in Texas and 22,244,823 in Florida), or about 15% of the total U.S. population (estimated to be 333,287,557 people in 2022).
Florida experienced the largest percentage increase, with a 1.9% increase over its 2021 population. Texas grew 1.6% over the previous year, ranking fourth in the country.
Texas surpasses 30 million
For the first time in history, the Lone Star State has reached 30 million citizens, only ever achieved by California (which is now experiencing a progressive decline in population).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Texas's population experienced an increase of more than five million, and it has doubled its population since 1990. Its growth in the last year was due to three main factors: net internal migration (+230,961), net international migration (+118,614) and natural increase (+118,159).
Eight of the ten fastest growing states are Republican states
Republican management attracts more citizens than Democratic management. Eight of the ten states that grew the most in population are governed by the Republican Party. These are: Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona (its governor in 2022 was Republican Doug Ducey), South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Idaho.
The other two territories that appear in the top ten are North Carolina (third) and Washington (sixth), which are both governed by the Democratic Party.
Economic management and business activity are key
One factor that influences the increase in population in each state is the migration of companies. When a state is more free in its economic management, companies opt to change their fiscal and physical residence and establish themselves in those states that best facilitate business. That is the case in Texas.
The California Policy Center compiled a list of companies leaving states such as California, which have the highest number of regulations on business. Of the companies that left the Golden State (183) since 2018, 88 fled to Texas. In addition, 13 went to Florida, 10 to Tennessee, nine to Arizona, another nine to Colorado and seven to North Carolina.
