What does this annual net migration ranking show?

It orders states by People gained or lost to migration, annual. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Migration

Highest annual net migration by state

People gained or lost to migration, annual.

This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.

Arrivals minus departures during the year, combining domestic and international migration. Positive means the county gained people through migration; negative means it lost them. This is fundamentally different from Recent arrivals: a county can have many newcomers and still lose population if even more people leave. Births and deaths are excluded.

How to read this ranking

Texas has the highest published annual net migration in this comparison, at 234,774. The next states shown are Florida (201,191) and North Carolina (130,954).

The table orders 51 states by people gained or lost to migration, annual. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Arrivals minus departures during the year, combining domestic and international migration. Positive means the county gained people through migration; negative means it lost them. This is fundamentally different from Recent arrivals: a county can have many newcomers and still lose population if even more people leave. Births and deaths are excluded.

1Texas234,774
2Florida201,191
3North Carolina130,954
4South Carolina79,552
5Georgia69,912
6Tennessee60,379
7Arizona59,326
8Washington55,440
9Virginia46,704
10Ohio40,431
11Michigan32,502
12Alabama32,304
13Indiana30,049
14Missouri26,693
15Nevada25,465
16Pennsylvania23,985
17Kentucky22,978
18Oklahoma22,912
19Idaho22,063
20Minnesota20,786
21Arkansas19,945
22New Jersey15,636
23Wisconsin14,244
24Oregon11,864
25Connecticut11,589
26Maine11,446
27Utah10,844
28Delaware10,328
29New Hampshire8,957
30Maryland8,376
31Montana7,247
32Kansas6,921
33Massachusetts6,900
34West Virginia6,652
35Mississippi6,534
36Nebraska6,233
37South Dakota5,352
38Iowa4,933
39Illinois4,735
40Rhode Island4,372
41North Dakota3,322
42Colorado3,256
43Wyoming1,732
44New Mexico612
45Louisiana513
46Vermont-103
47District of Columbia-213
48Alaska-2,566
49Hawaii-4,108
50New York-41,952
51California-119,799

Related migration rankings

Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by People gained or lost to migration, annual. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/annual-net-migration" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="People gained or lost to migration, annual by state"></iframe>

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. · How this is built

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