Top 15 States With the Fastest-Growing Populations

Last year, the U.S. saw its population surge at its highest rate since 2001, overwhelmingly driven by an influx of immigrants—but, some states drew more newcomers than others.

Economists with the National Association of Realtors® used U.S. Census Bureau data to offer a detailed analysis of the nation’s demographic trends.

It also included a list of the 15 states where the population is growing the fastest, with three new surprise entries.

Although not a state but a district, Washington, DC, topped the list of the 15 states with the fastest growth in population, which went up by 2.2% from 2023 to 2024.

Not surprisingly, Florida and Texas, which have been veritable migration magnets since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, attracting movers from across the country, have also experienced rapid population growths at rates of 2% and 1.8%, respectively. 

Incidentally, census data showed that at 31.3 million people, Texas had the second-largest population in the U.S. in 2024, only behind California (39.4 million). A recent landmark report by Realtor.com® economists singled out Texas for its booming population growth and projects that it will become the largest state by population by 2045.

Florida takes the third spot, with 23.4 million residents.

Meanwhile, smaller coastal states had an outstanding year in terms of population gains, with both New Jersey (No. 11) and Washington state (No. 12) adding residents at a rate of 1.3% in 2024, with Massachusetts closing out the top 15 list, at 1%.

New Jersey also had the overall 11th-largest population in the U.S., at 9.5 million.    

Migration trends and birth rates

Utah was the fourth fastest-growing state in the nation, according to the census numbers, with its population rising by 1.8% last year. That change was likely due in large part to domestic migration—the movement of people between areas within the country. 

The Beehive State had the most impressive acceleration in domestic migration, gaining nearly seven times more transplants in 2024 than in the previous year.

Idaho‘s population expanded at a slightly more modest rate of 1.6%, landing it in the seventh place on the list of fastest-growing states. However, the Gem State had the biggest uptick in births year over year (2.2%). 

The populations of North Carolina, Delaware, and Arizona all went up by 1.5% in 2024, while Tennessee and Georgia each grew by 1.1% during the same period. 

Nationwide, nearly all 50 states saw population gains because of international migration, which accounted for 84% of the overall population growth of 3.3 million in 2024. That means that 2.8 million people migrated to the U.S. from abroad last year.

Florida, Texas, and North Carolina led the nation in net migration, which takes into account both domestic and international migration, with the Sunshine State topping the list with 475,339 new arrivals, followed by Texas, with 404,836.