Components of change · 2021–2024

Where People Went

A state’s population change is an accounting identity, not a verdict: births minus deaths, plus arrivals from other states, plus arrivals from other countries. Reported as one number the three cancel, and the cancellation is usually the thing worth knowing. One of the three also cannot change the national total by a single person — and it is the one the argument is always about.

The three channels, added up for the whole country

Before any state is ranked: the same three columns summed across all 51 jurisdictions. A ranking cannot show this, because a ranking hides the column total — and here the column total is the finding.

Domestic0Largest of the three in 22 of 51 states
Movers between US states. One state’s departure is another state’s arrival, so the 51 figures cancel and the total comes to 0. Domestic migration is the channel almost every state-growth argument is about, and it is the one channel that cannot add a single person to the country.
International+7,149,957Largest of the three in 26 of 51 states
Net arrivals from outside the United States, and the whole of the country’s migration gain. The annual flow ran 376,004 in 2021 and 2,786,119 in 2024.
Births − deaths+1,383,311Largest of the three in 3 of 51 states
Births minus deaths. Not migration at all, and routinely mistaken for it. 22 of the 51 jurisdictions record more deaths than births across the window; for those, migration is not a supplement to growth but the only source of it.
All three+8,533,2684 years, 51 jurisdictions
The country’s growth over the window, and it is 84% arrivals from abroad. Underneath that single figure, 25 states gain through one migration channel while losing through the other; in 18 of them, arrivals from abroad more than make up for the residents lost to other states. Of all 51, 7 shrink. The table below is that decomposition, state by state.

Every state, decomposed

Bars are per 1,000 residents so states of different sizes can be read against one another; the columns give the underlying counts. Ordered by domestic migration — the channel that most directly reflects a choice between states. Three bars per row: domestic international births − deaths

#	State	Per 1,000 residents	Largest channel	Domestic	International	Births − deaths	Sum of the three
1	IDIdaho	domestic migration +55.7 per 1,000; international migration +11.0 per 1,000; births minus deaths +9.9 per 1,000	Domestic	+111,459	+21,971	+19,909	+153,339
2	SCSouth Carolina	domestic migration +54.7 per 1,000; international migration +11.0 per 1,000; births minus deaths −3.2 per 1,000	Domestic	+299,962	+60,351	−17,465	+342,848
3	MTMontana	domestic migration +44.6 per 1,000; international migration +2.3 per 1,000; births minus deaths −3.0 per 1,000	Domestic	+50,720	+2,579	−3,360	+49,939
4	DEDelaware	domestic migration +41.9 per 1,000; international migration +16.8 per 1,000; births minus deaths −1.8 per 1,000	Domestic	+44,125	+17,684	−1,944	+59,865
5	NCNorth Carolina	domestic migration +34.8 per 1,000; international migration +16.3 per 1,000; births minus deaths +2.7 per 1,000	Domestic	+383,851	+180,579	+29,582	+594,012
6	FLFlorida	domestic migration +34.7 per 1,000; international migration +45.2 per 1,000; births minus deaths −4.1 per 1,000	International	+810,122	+1,056,301	−95,919	+1,770,504
7	MEMaine	domestic migration +33.7 per 1,000; international migration +9.8 per 1,000; births minus deaths −14.8 per 1,000	Domestic	+47,322	+13,740	−20,747	+40,315
8	TNTennessee	domestic migration +32.8 per 1,000; international migration +10.1 per 1,000; births minus deaths −2.0 per 1,000	Domestic	+237,368	+72,930	−14,148	+296,150
9	AZArizona	domestic migration +29.3 per 1,000; international migration +20.9 per 1,000; births minus deaths +1.6 per 1,000	Domestic	+222,465	+158,681	+12,311	+393,457
10	SDSouth Dakota	domestic migration +22.8 per 1,000; international migration +7.1 per 1,000; births minus deaths +9.3 per 1,000	Domestic	+21,045	+6,601	+8,576	+36,222
11	TXTexas	domestic migration +22.2 per 1,000; international migration +26.2 per 1,000; births minus deaths +17.1 per 1,000	International	+693,979	+818,806	+534,981	+2,047,766
12	OKOklahoma	domestic migration +21.8 per 1,000; international migration +9.9 per 1,000; births minus deaths −0.0 per 1,000	Domestic	+89,307	+40,635	−197	+129,745
13	NVNevada	domestic migration +21.7 per 1,000; international migration +21.8 per 1,000; births minus deaths +2.3 per 1,000	International	+70,963	+71,351	+7,515	+149,829
14	ARArkansas	domestic migration +21.4 per 1,000; international migration +6.0 per 1,000; births minus deaths −3.6 per 1,000	Domestic	+66,039	+18,642	−11,212	+73,469
15	ALAlabama	domestic migration +21.2 per 1,000; international migration +7.5 per 1,000; births minus deaths −4.7 per 1,000	Domestic	+109,375	+38,717	−24,356	+123,736
16	NHNew Hampshire	domestic migration +19.8 per 1,000; international migration +7.7 per 1,000; births minus deaths −6.2 per 1,000	Domestic	+27,898	+10,850	−8,707	+30,041
17	GAGeorgia	domestic migration +17.3 per 1,000; international migration +15.2 per 1,000; births minus deaths +7.4 per 1,000	Domestic	+193,886	+169,820	+83,160	+446,866
18	UTUtah	domestic migration +13.5 per 1,000; international migration +22.2 per 1,000; births minus deaths +27.1 per 1,000	Births − deaths	+47,233	+77,786	+94,934	+219,953
19	WYWyoming	domestic migration +11.7 per 1,000; international migration +5.1 per 1,000; births minus deaths +0.2 per 1,000	Domestic	+6,860	+3,010	+142	+10,012
20	VTVermont	domestic migration +9.6 per 1,000; international migration +9.3 per 1,000; births minus deaths −10.1 per 1,000	Births − deaths	+6,228	+6,017	−6,543	+5,702
21	MOMissouri	domestic migration +6.9 per 1,000; international migration +9.4 per 1,000; births minus deaths −1.9 per 1,000	International	+43,293	+58,648	−11,763	+90,178
22	WVWest Virginia	domestic migration +6.3 per 1,000; international migration +4.3 per 1,000; births minus deaths −22.7 per 1,000	Births − deaths	+11,089	+7,561	−40,259	−21,609
23	KYKentucky	domestic migration +6.0 per 1,000; international migration +15.4 per 1,000; births minus deaths −4.1 per 1,000	International	+27,734	+70,495	−18,756	+79,473
24	INIndiana	domestic migration +4.1 per 1,000; international migration +12.7 per 1,000; births minus deaths +2.5 per 1,000	International	+28,556	+88,240	+17,521	+134,317
25	COColorado	domestic migration +4.0 per 1,000; international migration +13.9 per 1,000; births minus deaths +10.6 per 1,000	International	+23,807	+82,822	+63,073	+169,702
26	WIWisconsin	domestic migration +0.5 per 1,000; international migration +10.6 per 1,000; births minus deaths −0.2 per 1,000	International	+2,916	+63,275	−1,316	+64,875
27	CTConnecticutmigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −1.0 per 1,000; international migration +25.8 per 1,000; births minus deaths +1.1 per 1,000	International	−3,522	+94,752	+4,088	+95,318
28	OROregonmigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −1.8 per 1,000; international migration +12.4 per 1,000; births minus deaths −3.9 per 1,000	International	−7,602	+52,903	−16,692	+28,609
29	IAIowamigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −2.5 per 1,000; international migration +15.3 per 1,000; births minus deaths +2.8 per 1,000	International	−8,251	+49,594	+9,019	+50,362
30	OHOhiomigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −3.0 per 1,000; international migration +13.8 per 1,000; births minus deaths −3.6 per 1,000	International	−35,266	+163,757	−42,230	+86,261
31	PAPennsylvaniamigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −3.5 per 1,000; international migration +15.2 per 1,000; births minus deaths −5.4 per 1,000	International	−45,451	+198,274	−70,144	+82,679
32	VAVirginiamigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −3.9 per 1,000; international migration +17.9 per 1,000; births minus deaths +5.7 per 1,000	International	−34,634	+158,047	+49,930	+173,343
33	NMNew Mexicomigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −4.1 per 1,000; international migration +14.1 per 1,000; births minus deaths −4.5 per 1,000	International	−8,713	+29,970	−9,512	+11,745
34	WAWashingtonmigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −4.2 per 1,000; international migration +25.9 per 1,000; births minus deaths +7.7 per 1,000	International	−33,762	+206,184	+61,537	+233,959
35	MIMichiganmigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −6.2 per 1,000; international migration +16.2 per 1,000; births minus deaths −3.3 per 1,000	International	−63,064	+164,056	−33,860	+67,132
36	NENebraskamigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −6.5 per 1,000; international migration +16.6 per 1,000; births minus deaths +11.0 per 1,000	International	−12,996	+33,236	+22,085	+42,325
37	MSMississippi	domestic migration −6.8 per 1,000; international migration +6.8 per 1,000; births minus deaths −5.1 per 1,000	Domestic	−20,099	+19,910	−15,029	−15,218
38	KSKansasmigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −7.4 per 1,000; international migration +14.1 per 1,000; births minus deaths +4.2 per 1,000	International	−22,041	+42,004	+12,347	+32,310
39	RIRhode Islandmigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −7.4 per 1,000; international migration +24.1 per 1,000; births minus deaths −2.5 per 1,000	International	−8,258	+26,793	−2,761	+15,774
40	NDNorth Dakotamigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −7.5 per 1,000; international migration +16.5 per 1,000; births minus deaths +12.9 per 1,000	International	−6,012	+13,135	+10,268	+17,391
41	MNMinnesotamigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −8.0 per 1,000; international migration +13.9 per 1,000; births minus deaths +8.3 per 1,000	International	−46,516	+80,796	+47,848	+82,128
42	MDMarylandmigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −18.4 per 1,000; international migration +24.5 per 1,000; births minus deaths +7.2 per 1,000	International	−114,948	+153,678	+45,232	+83,962
43	MAMassachusettsmigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −18.7 per 1,000; international migration +35.6 per 1,000; births minus deaths +3.3 per 1,000	International	−133,608	+254,194	+23,266	+143,852
44	NJNew Jerseymigration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −19.3 per 1,000; international migration +34.3 per 1,000; births minus deaths +9.0 per 1,000	International	−183,099	+326,287	+85,258	+228,446
45	DCWashington, D.C.migration gain only from abroad	domestic migration −20.2 per 1,000; international migration +49.3 per 1,000; births minus deaths +16.2 per 1,000	International	−14,213	+34,586	+11,354	+31,727
46	AKAlaska	domestic migration −24.2 per 1,000; international migration +15.0 per 1,000; births minus deaths +18.9 per 1,000	Domestic	−17,930	+11,111	+13,999	+7,180
47	LALouisiana	domestic migration −27.1 per 1,000; international migration +12.8 per 1,000; births minus deaths +2.2 per 1,000	Domestic	−124,444	+58,919	+10,209	−55,316
48	ILIllinois	domestic migration −31.1 per 1,000; international migration +21.9 per 1,000; births minus deaths +2.2 per 1,000	Domestic	−395,721	+278,149	+27,394	−90,178
49	HIHawaii	domestic migration −31.8 per 1,000; international migration +21.2 per 1,000; births minus deaths +7.1 per 1,000	Domestic	−46,018	+30,616	+10,261	−5,141
50	CACalifornia	domestic migration −35.5 per 1,000; international migration +23.7 per 1,000; births minus deaths +9.9 per 1,000	Domestic	−1,397,897	+932,858	+389,684	−75,355
51	NYNew York	domestic migration −45.0 per 1,000; international migration +26.1 per 1,000; births minus deaths +7.3 per 1,000	Domestic	−893,537	+518,056	+144,748	−230,733

Population change by channel, 2021–2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates: components of change.

How this is built

Every figure is a published Census estimate, added up. Nothing is modelled, weighted or fitted, and no number here is an opinion about a state. The three channels are reported separately by the Census and sum, with a small reconciling residual, to the change in the population estimate — which is why the last column is headed sum of the three rather than population change, and why a part-to-whole chart is legitimate on this page and is refused on the State Development Index, whose pillars are independent scores that sum to nothing.

Rates are cumulative flow divided by the latest population estimate, times 1,000 — stated that way rather than as a sum of the published annual rates, which have four different denominators and cannot simply be added. Largest channel compares the three as counts, not rates, so it answers which term moved the most people rather than which moved the most per resident. Vintage-year 2020 is published for a partial period and carries no companion rate, so it is excluded rather than shown alongside four full years it cannot be compared with. A work of the U.S. government: no copyright subsists (17 U.S.C. §105).

What none of this shows: who moved, why, or what they do. The file carries state totals and nothing else — no occupation, no age, no origin, no destination pair. A state high on domestic migration is not thereby a better state, and nothing here identifies a single person’s reason for going anywhere. The domestic column is ranked on its own, with what it does not measure, in The Domestic Migration Ledger. The source file

What Applied America does with this. Applied America, a nonprofit division of CEFA, carries public priorities to projects that get built. Whether a state is gaining or losing people, and through which channel, is part of the published record those priorities are drawn from. A state or regional office with a priority starts at Identify Development Needs.