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Join the Discussion
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"Do you think Florida will become #3 and beat New York during this decade?"
Your Guide
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by Matt Rosenberg
January 12, 2003
In late December, the U.S. Census Bureau released their July 1, 2002 population estimates for the fifty states. With this recent data, we can examine states' growth (or decline) since the 2000 Census. Since Census 2000, the United States as a whole grew by 3,051,139 people for a July 1, 2002 estimate of 288,368,698.
Many southern and southwestern states exhibited significant growth from 2000 to 2002 - California, Texas, and Florida led in overall numerical population growth but Nevada had the highest percentage growth. Nevada's population increased a whopping 8.8% in two years! Following Nevada were Arizona with a 6.4% increase and Colorado with a 4.8% increase. Florida and Georgia weren't far behind with a 4.6% increase and Texas grew 4.5% in the two years.
Two states saw a population decrease from 2000 to 2002. North Dakota lost 8,090 residents overall and thus shrunk 1.3%. West Virginia lost 6,471 from its population resulting in a 0.4% decrease in population.
The table below provides a listing of states in order of population rank, based on the July 1, 2002 estimates. On the next page, you'll find a listing of states based on their percentage growth for the two years 2000-2002.
States Ranked in Order of Population (July 1, 2002 Estimates)
| Rank | State | July 2002 Pop. | Census 2000 Pop. | Change |
| 1 | California | 35,116,033 | 33,871,648 | 3.7% |
| 2 | Texas | 21,779,893 | 20,851,648 | 4.5% |
| 3 | New York | 19,157,532 | 18,976,457 | 1.0% |
| 4 | Florida | 16,713,149 | 15,982,378 | 4.6% |
| 5 | Illinois | 12,600,620 | 12,419,293 | 1.5% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 12,335,091 | 12,281,054 | 0.4% |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,421,267 | 11,353,140 | 0.6% |
| 8 | Michigan | 10,050,446 | 9,938,444 | 1.1% |
| 9 | New Jersey | 8,590,300 | 8,414,350 | 2.1% |
| 10 | Georgia | 8,560,310 | 8,186,453 | 4.6% |
| 11 | North Carolina | 8,320,146 | 8,049,313 | 3.4% |
| 12 | Virginia | 7,293,542 | 7,078,515 | 3.0% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 6,427,801 | 6,349,097 | 1.2% |
| 14 | Indiana | 6,159,068 | 6,080,485 | 1.3% |
| 15 | Washington | 6,068,996 | 5,894,121 | 3.0% |
| 16 | Tennessee | 5,797,289 | 5,689,283 | 1.9% |
| 17 | Missouri | 5,672,579 | 5,595,211 | 1.4% |
| 18 | Maryland | 5,458,137 | 5,296,486 | 3.1% |
| 19 | Arizona | 5,456,453 | 5,130,632 | 6.4% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,441,196 | 5,363,675 | 1.4% |
| 21 | Minnesota | 5,019,720 | 4,919,479 | 2.0% |
| 22 | Colorado | 4,506,542 | 4,301,261 | 4.8% |
| 23 | Alabama | 4,486,508 | 4,447,100 | 0.9% |
| 24 | Louisiana | 4,482,646 | 4,468,976 | 0.3% |
| 25 | South Carolina | 4,107,183 | 4,012,012 | 2.4% |
| 26 | Kentucky | 4,092,891 | 4,041,769 | 1.3% |
| 27 | Oregon | 3,521,515 | 3,421,399 | 2.9% |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 3,493,714 | 3,450,654 | 1.2% |
| 29 | Connecticut | 3,460,503 | 3,405,565 | 1.6% |
| 30 | Iowa | 2,936,760 | 2,926,324 | 0.4% |
| 31 | Mississippi | 2,871,782 | 2,844,658 | 1.0% |
| 32 | Kansas | 2,715,884 | 2,688,418 | 1.0% |
| 33 | Arkansas | 2,710,079 | 2,673,400 | 1.4% |
| 34 | Utah | 2,316,256 | 2,233,169 | 3.7% |
| 35 | Nevada | 2,173,491 | 1,998,257 | 8.8% |
| 36 | New Mexico | 1,855,059 | 1,819,046 | 2.0% |
| 37 | West Virginia | 1,801,873 | 1,808,344 | -0.4% |
| 38 | Nebraska | 1,729,180 | 1,711,263 | 1.0% |
| 39 | Idaho | 1,341,131 | 1,293,953 | 3.6% |
| 40 | Maine | 1,294,464 | 1,274,923 | 1.5% |
| 41 | New Hampshire | 1,275,056 | 1,235,786 | 3.2% |
| 42 | Hawaii | 1,244,898 | 1,211,537 | 2.8% |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 1,069,725 | 1,048,319 | 2.0% |
| 44 | Montana | 909,453 | 902,195 | 0.8% |
| 45 | Delaware | 807,385 | 783,600 | 3.0% |
| 46 | South Dakota | 761,063 | 754,844 | 0.8% |
| 47 | Alaska | 643,786 | 636,932 | 2.7% |
| 48 | North Dakota | 634,110 | 642,200 | -1.3% |
| 49 | Vermont | 616,592 | 608,827 | 1.3% |
| 50 | Wyoming | 498,703 | 493,782 | 1.0% |
Source: Table ST-EST2002-01 - State Population Estimates: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2002, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. Release Date: December 20, 2002
Next page > Growth Rates Ranked > Page 1, 2
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