Driven by hundreds of thousands of people moving in, Florida’s population grew 1% from July 2020 to July 2021, adding an additional 211,305 residents, according to new estimates released by the US Census Bureau.
This wave of people moving to Florida overcame a year in which more Floridians died than were born.
In the census office annual population estimates by vintage – which are based on the decennial census, surveys and other research – Florida’s population grew to just under 21.8 million in the 12 months ending July 1, 2021. This population is on the rise compared to just under 21.5 million counted for the official 2020 census and found by the 2020 mid-year estimate.
The Census Bureau released the latest estimates last week.
The Sunshine State’s growth over the year was only surpassed by that of Texas, which added 310,288 people between summer 2020 and summer 2021. No other state grew by as much as 100 000 new residents in the 12-month period between the census bureau’s July 1 annual population estimates.
However, other states have seen faster per capita growth than Florida, as Florida already has a huge population, third in size behind California and Texas.
The Sunshine State’s growth rate for the year, 1.0%, was the eighth highest. Idaho had the fastest population growth in the country during the year, with a 2.9% increase, followed by Utah, Montana, Arizona, South Carolina, Delaware, Texas, then Florida. Nevada and South Dakota round out the top 10 in the Census Bureau’s latest estimates.
The Census Bureau more detailed data show that Florida’s population grew during the year due to migration: 220,890 people moved to Florida from other states, Washington, DC or Puerto Rico, making Florida the nation’s top destination for internal migration. Florida’s population was also bolstered during the year by 38,590 immigrants, also the largest in the country.
Florida’s net migration and immigration gain of 259,480 was the highest in the nation. 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 Florida celebrated 210,305 births but also suffered 255,553 deaths in the 12-month period between period population estimates. Florida’s natural population decline of 45,248 was the largest decline in the country. Next is Pennsylvania, where deaths exceeded births by 30,878; and Ohio, 15,811.
Texas’ population, on the other hand, grew more overall than Florida’s, as the Lone Star State recorded 113,845 more births than deaths during the year, to accompany large gains in migration and immigration from Texas.
The United States rose only 0.1% during the year. The Census Bureau said it was the lowest annual population growth since the founding of the country. As of July 1, 2021, the US population was estimated at 331,893,745.
In 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 were also big losers.
“Population growth has been slowing for years due to declining birth rates and declining net international migration, while death rates are rising due to the country’s aging population,” Kristie Wilder, a demographer with the Census Bureau’s Population Division, said in a press release issued by the bureau earlier this month. “Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, that combination has resulted in a historically slow pace of growth.”
(Source: United States Census Bureau)
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