SALT LAKE CITY — A new study from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the population boom in Utah is not just a dream.
Utah ranked ninth in the country in 2022 for numeric growth with 41,687 residents added, and tenth overall with a 1.2% percentage increase.
Migration into the country is the primary driver for growth, as people moved into the U.S. at pre-pandemic levels in 2022.
“There was a sizeable uptick in population growth last year compared to the prior year’s historically low increase,” said Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau.
“A rebound in net international migration, coupled with the largest year-over-year increase in total births since 2007, is behind this increase.”
Florida saw the most growth, but Utah neighbor Idaho was second in the country for percentage gains.
Rounding out the list for highest percentage gains in growth are South Carolina, Texas, South Dakota, Montana, Delaware, Arizona, and North Carolina.
States in the Western and Southern regions of the country saw population gains, with Northeastern and Midwestern states seeing decreases.
Top 10 States in Percent Growth: 2021 to 2022 | |||||
| Rank | Geographic Area | April 1, 2020(Estimates Base) | July 1, 2021 | July 1, 2022 | Percent Growth |
| 1 | Florida | 21,538,226 | 21,828,069 | 22,244,823 | 1.9% |
| 2 | Idaho | 1,839,092 | 1,904,314 | 1,939,033 | 1.8% |
| 3 | South Carolina | 5,118,429 | 5,193,266 | 5,282,634 | 1.7% |
| 4 | Texas | 29,145,428 | 29,558,864 | 30,029,572 | 1.6% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 886,677 | 896,164 | 909,824 | 1.5% |
| 6 | Montana | 1,084,197 | 1,106,227 | 1,122,867 | 1.5% |
| 7 | Delaware | 989,957 | 1,004,807 | 1,018,396 | 1.4% |
| 8 | Arizona | 7,151,507 | 7,264,877 | 7,359,197 | 1.3% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,439,414 | 10,565,885 | 10,698,973 | 1.3% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,271,614 | 3,339,113 | 3,380,800 | 1.2% |
