Florida’s population growth tops in migration, immigration

Demographic change as a large group of people as a changing diversity in a population.

Driven by hundreds of thousands of people moving in, Florida’s population grew by 1% from July 2020 to July 2021, adding 211,305 more residents, according to new estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

That surge of people moving to Florida overcame a year in which more Floridians died than were born.

In the  Census Bureau’s annual vintage population estimates — which are based on the decennial census, surveys and other research — Florida’ population grew to just under 21.8 million in the 12 months ending July 1, 2021. That population is up from just under 21.5 million counted for the official 2020 census and found by the 2020 mid-year estimate.

The Census Bureau released the newest estimates last week.

The Sunshine State’s growth during the year was topped only by that of Texas, which added 310,288 people between the summer of 2020 and the summer of 2021. No other state grew by as many as 100,000 new residents in the 12-month period between the Census bureau’s annual July 1 vintage population estimates.

However, other states grew faster on a per-capital rate than Florida, because Florida already has an enormous population, third largest behind California’s and Texas’.

The Sunshine State’s growth rate during the year, 1.0%, was eighth highest. Idaho had the nation’s fastest growing population during the year, increasing by 2.9%, followed by Utah, Montana, Arizona, South Carolina, Delaware, Texas, and then Florida. Nevada and South Dakota rounded out the top 10 in the Census Bureau’s latest estimates.

The Census Bureau’s more detailed data show that Florida’s population swelled during the year because of migration: 220,890 people moved to Florida from other states, Washington, D.C, or Puerto Rico, making Florida the nation’s top destination for domestic migration. Florida’s population also was buoyed during the year by 38,590 immigrants, also the most in the nation.

Florida’s net migration and immigration gain of 259,480 was the most in the country. Texas was second, with 197,492 people moving in between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021.

Where Florida faltered was in procreation.

More people died in the Sunshine State than were born in Florida during the year.

The Census Bureau said that Florida celebrated 210,305 births, but also suffered 255,553 deaths during the 12-month period between vintage population estimates. Florida’s natural population decrease of 45,248 was the biggest decline in the country. Next was Pennsylvania, where deaths outnumbered births by 30,878; and Ohio, 15,811.

Texas’ population, on the other hand, grew overall by more than Florida’s because the Lone Star State recorded 113,845 more births than deaths during the year, to go along with Texas’ large migration and immigration gains.

The United States grew by only 0.1% during the year. The Census Bureau said that was the smallest annual population growth since the nation’s founding. As of July 1, 2021, America’s population was estimated at 331,893,745.

During the year ending July 21, the District of Columbia lost 2.9% of its population. New York, Illinois, Hawaii, California, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Dakota, West Virginia and Mississippi also were big losers.

“Population growth has been slowing for years because of lower birth rates and decreasing net international migration, all while mortality rates are rising due to the aging of the nation’s population,” Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the population division at the Census Bureau, said in a news release issued by the bureau earlier this month. “Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this combination has resulted in a historically slow pace of growth.”

(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)