Dec 22, 2022 - World

Florida named fastest-growing state in the country by Census

Herb Scribner

Miami Beach, Florida, crowds of Argentinian soccer, futbol fans celebrating FIFA World Cup victory. — A crowd celebrates the World Cup in Miami, Florida. Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

People have been flocking to Florida in 2022, which saw the fastest growth compared to any other state over the last year, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Why it matters: This is the first time Florida has been named the fastest-growing state since 1957.

The big picture: The United States population grew from 2021 to 2022 after historic lows during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new Census data. Most of the growth has been attributed to migration.

Details: The Sunshine State's population grew to 22,244,823 from 2021 to 2022, which is good for a 1.9% increase.

The state has seen a 9x increase since 1946 when its population sat around 2.44 million.

Zoom in: Florida's population increase has been positive since 1946, according to the Census Bureau.

In fact, the Census Bureau said improvements in air conditioning technology might have supported a boom in the Sunshine State's numbers, which saw a 6.1% increase on average throughout the 1950s.
Florida's population increased above average during that decade, too, according to the Census Bureau. And, in the 1960s, Florida's population grew at about double the national average.

Yes, but: Western states — Arizona, Idaho, Utah, North Dakota and Alaska — have been the darlings when it comes to high-growing populations over the last 76 years.

Nevada has dominated the fastest-growing ranking list for decades, snagging the top spot in 36 different years since 1946, according to the Census data.

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Florida named fastest-growing state in the country by Census

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