The U.S. population increase rate grew by nearly 1.0% from 2023 to 2024, with international migration accounting for 84%.
Migration Fuels Fastest U.S. Growth in Decades
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The United States experienced its fastest population growth since 2001, with a 1.0% increase between 2023 and 2024, according to the Vintage 2024 population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. This growth, driven primarily by net international migration, pushed the nation’s total population past 340 million.
With a net gain of 2.8 million people through international migration, this demographic factor accounted for 84% of the 3.3 million population increase. This continues a trend of rising migration, up from 2.3 million in 2023 and 1.7 million in 2022.
“Improved integration of federal immigration data has enhanced our ability to measure these increases accurately,” said Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for Estimates and Projections.
Natural Increase Slows but Remains a Factor
Although migration played a dominant role, natural increase—the difference between births and deaths—also contributed to growth, with births exceeding deaths by nearly 519,000. While higher than the 2021 low of 146,000, it remains significantly below historic averages.
Kristie Wilder, a demographer at the Census Bureau, noted, “The diminishing role of natural increase over the last five years highlights how international migration has become the primary driver of the nation’s growth.”
Regional Highlights: The South Leads Growth
The South emerged as the fastest-growing region, adding nearly 1.8 million residents between 2023 and 2024—a 1.4% increase. International migration added 1.1 million people, while domestic migration contributed 411,004.
Within the region, Texas and Florida led numeric gains, with increases of 562,941 and 467,347, respectively. The District of Columbia posted the highest percentage growth nationally, at 2.2%.
The West followed, growing by 0.9% with gains from international migration (667,794) offsetting domestic losses. California and Arizona led the region’s numeric increases.
The Northeast and Midwest grew more modestly, at 0.76% and 0.6%, respectively. In both regions, international migration offset domestic outmigration. New York saw the largest numeric gain in the Northeast, while Nebraska and North Dakota led the Midwest in growth rates.
Michigan’s Population Trends
Michigan’s population reached 10,140,459 in 2024, reflecting steady growth with a 0.6% increase from the previous year. Net international migration was the primary driver of this growth, countering smaller gains from natural increases. Michigan continues to rank among the top 10 most populous states.
Top 10 Most Populous States in 2024
| Rank | State | April 1, 2020 | July 1, 2023 | July 1, 2024 | Population Change (2023-2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39,555,674 | 39,198,693 | 39,431,263 | +232,570 |
| 2 | Texas | 29,149,458 | 30,727,890 | 31,290,831 | +562,941 |
| 3 | Florida | 21,538,192 | 22,904,868 | 23,372,215 | +467,347 |
| 4 | New York | 20,203,772 | 19,737,367 | 19,867,248 | +129,881 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 13,002,909 | 13,017,721 | 13,078,751 | +61,030 |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,821,814 | 12,642,259 | 12,710,158 | +67,899 |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,799,453 | 11,824,034 | 11,883,304 | +59,270 |
| 8 | Georgia | 10,713,755 | 11,064,432 | 11,180,878 | +116,446 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,441,499 | 10,881,189 | 11,046,024 | +164,835 |
| 10 | Michigan | 10,079,338 | 10,083,356 | 10,140,459 | +57,103 |
Declines and Challenges
Three states—Vermont, Mississippi, and West Virginia—experienced slight population declines due to a combination of negative net domestic migration and natural decrease.
Puerto Rico’s population continued to decline but at a slower rate, dropping just 0.02% compared to larger decreases in prior years.
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