Population Growth By US State From 2000 To 2018

map population growth by us state 2000 2018

Last Updated on

Americas were populated long before the arrival of Europeans to the new world and the subsequent process of mass colonization. Yet since the 16th century AD, the United States has been the focal point of rapidly increasing population in the new world, surpassing Latin America and other Northern American states. This article will showcase the population growth in US Sates from 2000 to 2018.

The following are the top 10 most populous states in the year 2000:

  1. California: 33,871,648
  2. Texas: 20,851,820
  3. New York: 18,976,457
  4. Florida: 15,982,378
  5. Illinois: 12,419,293
  6. Pennsylvania: 12,281,054
  7. Ohio: 11,353,140
  8. Michigan: 9,938,444
  9. New Jersey: 8,414,350
  10. Georgia: 8,186,453

Apart from being one of the biggest states, California was also the most populous state. Also, the other amazing fact was that in the year 2000, these 10 states were the home to nearly 54% of the total population in the USA.

The following are the top 10 most populous states in the year 2018. California remains the only state to reach near forty million people and Texas remains second-most populous. However, the Texas population has grown by almost 8 million and many other previously not-so-populous states have made it into the top 10 most populous states by 2018.

  1. California: 39,557,045
  2. Texas: 28,701,845
  3. Florida: 21,299,325
  4. New York: 19,542,209
  5. Pennsylvania: 12,807,060
  6. Illinois: 12,741,080
  7. Ohio: 11,689,442
  8. Georgia: 10,519,475
  9. North Carolina: 10,383,620
  10. Michigan: 9,995,915

Following lists showcases, the states with the lowest populations in the year 2000 and 2018. You might be surprised by seeing the population in some states in the USA.

Top 10 states with the lowest population in the USA in the year 2000:

  1. Wyoming: 493,782
  2. District of Columbia: 572,059
  3. Vermont: 608,827
  4. Alaska: 626,932
  5. North Dakota: 642,200
  6. South Dakota: 754,844
  7. Delaware: 783,600
  8. Montana: 902,195
  9. Rhode Island: 1,048,319
  10. Hawaii: 1,211,537

In the year 2000, Wyoming was the least populous state in the USA, with a population of just below 500,000 people and there were 8 states with a population lower than a million people. However, when you look at the top 10 least populated states list for 2018, you can see that there are only 7 states which have a population below 1 million people and states such as Hawaii are no longer in the “least populated” category.

Top 10 states with the lowest population in the USA in the year 2018:

  1. Wyoming: 577,737
  2. Vermont: 626,299
  3. District of Columbia: 702,455
  4. Alaska: 737,438
  5. North Dakota: 760,077
  6. South Dakota: 882,235
  7. Delaware: 967,171
  8. Rhode Island: 1,057,315
  9. Montana: 1,062,305
  10. Maine: 1,338,404

Top 12 States With A Rapid Population Growth In The Past 18 Years

Overall, the USA has maintained a population growth of between 1.5% and 2% yet these states individually have had a greater rate of increase in their population. Especially Nevada and Arizona which shows the highest percentage increase. Population number wise, Texas has increased the population by about 7 million people and California, the most populous state in the USA has a steady yet slow growth rate of 17%, yet numerically the growth is more than 5 million people.

In the following part we will look into the states which have the least growth in their respective populations.

Top 12 States With The Lowest Population Growth In The Past 18 Years

If we consider the other end of the population growth, the above information reveals that some states have had a growth rate below 5% and West Virginia has had a decreasing rate of the population. States with a population exceeding 10 million, such as Illinois, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania also report low population growth rates.

Reasons Behind The Population Growth In US States


Historically, the United States has been a nation of migration and apart from living birth, each year many foreign-born people come to the United States and obtain the permanent resident status of the citizenship of United States of America. By 2018, nearly 30% of the total population were regarded as immigrants and their US-Born children.

Advanced healthcare system

The advanced healthcare system in the USA allows many people in the USA to live longer, overall life expectancy in the USA has increased and Baby/ Infant mortality rate is 5.9 babies per 1000 live births is a positive level, although it is higher than some other developed nations. Also, vaccination and disease-early-detection programs have minimized the spread of communicable diseases and epidemics, unlike in the past. This effective health care system has enabled a steady climb in the population in the USA.


Apart from the 2008 financial crisis period, the rest of the time has seen a steady and a progressive period of economic growth. This too has had a strong influence upon the rise of the number of kids per family (in some states) and the increase in immigration to the USA from foreign countries.

Like it? Share with your friends!


One Comment
