Recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that population growth in the U.S. has reached its lowest level since 1937 despite recent gains in immigration. The long-term downward trend is the result of a declining birth rate and increased deaths, especially among America’s aging white population.
While population growth has slowed at the national level, population changes at the state and city level vary widely. Between 2017 and 2018, all but nine states saw their populations rise. Texas, Florida, California, and Arizona experienced the largest absolute population increases. At the other end of the spectrum, New York, Illinois, West Virginia, and Louisiana experienced the largest absolute population decreases, largely as a result of residents moving out-of-state.
While Texas, Florida, and Arizona also lead the country in net domestic migration (people moving in from other states), California ranks second only to New York for having the most people leaving the state. New Jersey and Illinois are also prominent among the long list of states losing swaths of residents to other states.
In order to determine the fastest-growing U.S. cities, researchers at 360 Quote analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau over a five-year period. Population growth was measured as the percentage increase or decrease in the population from 2013 to 2018. Researchers also calculated population changes by education level, age, and race/ethnicity to provide additional insight into the evolving demographics of each city.
Here are the fastest-growing large U.S. cities:
The results for small and midsize cities, as well as a detailed methodology for the analysis, can be found in the original report here: https://www.