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The State of Relocation

Over the past five years, 44 states grew and 7 shrank. These are net population changes — births and deaths as well as moves — but the pattern tracks closely with where Americans are choosing to live.

Added in growing states
+10,772,180
Lost in shrinking states
−597,957
Fastest growing
Idaho +10.4%

Five-year population change

Every state, ranked. Bars run right for growth, left for decline.

Idaho+10.4%Florida+8.9%South Carolina+8.8%Texas+8.8%Utah+8.2%North Carolina+7.2%Delaware+7.1%Arizona+6.5%Tennessee+5.8%Nevada+5.7%Montana+5.6%Georgia+5.5%South Dakota+5.5%Colorado+4.1%Oklahoma+4.1%Maine+3.8%Washington+3.8%Arkansas+3.4%Alabama+3.3%Nebraska+2.9%Virginia+2.9%Indiana+2.8%New Jersey+2.8%New Hampshire+2.7%North Dakota+2.6%Connecticut+2.2%Kentucky+2.2%Minnesota+2.2%Wyoming+2.1%Missouri+1.9%Massachusetts+1.7%Rhode Island+1.6%Iowa+1.5%Maryland+1.4%Kansas+1.3%Wisconsin+1.3%Ohio+0.9%Oregon+0.9%District of Columbia+0.6%Alaska+0.5%Michigan+0.5%New Mexico+0.4%Pennsylvania+0.4%Vermont+0.2%Mississippi-0.2%California-0.5%Illinois-0.8%Louisiana-0.9%New York-1.0%Hawaii-1.5%West Virginia-1.5%

Growth has a price

The states drawing the most people are rarely the cheapest once you get there. Affordability below is the median home price divided by median household income — around 3× was the historical norm, and above roughly 5× local earnings no longer comfortably support local prices.

StateGrowthHome priceAfford.
Idaho+10.4%$482,1995.9×Florida+8.9%$378,1264.9×South Carolina+8.8%$309,3234.3×Texas+8.8%$302,9993.8×Utah+8.2%$541,6925.6×North Carolina+7.2%$340,4304.6×Delaware+7.1%$412,2524.7×Arizona+6.5%$422,8225.2×Tennessee+5.8%$338,7694.7×Nevada+5.7%$448,2155.5×

Gaining fastest

Idaho+188,558Florida+1,910,126South Carolina+443,141Texas+2,530,876Utah+265,523North Carolina+741,897Delaware+69,735Arizona+462,775

Losing ground

West Virginia-26,954Hawaii-22,023New York-200,679Louisiana-41,755Illinois-102,501California-198,147Mississippi-5,898

Where would you actually fit?

Growth rankings describe where other people went. Weight what matters to you and rank all 50 states against your own priorities instead.

Find your fit

Population figures are US Census ACS estimates comparing the current five-year vintage against the one five years earlier. These are net changes including births and deaths, not migration flows — a state can grow without anyone moving in. See methodology for sources and limits.