Idaho is fourth-fastest growing state percentagewise
Southern states fill out the remainder of the top five
JEFF ROBINSON jrobinson@postregister.com
Dec 20, 2023
Idaho was the nation’s fourth-fastest growing state percentagewise in terms of population growth between 2022 and 2023. That’s according to estimates released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Idaho, which grew by a reported 1.3%, also was the only state in the top five nationally for growth percentage that isn’t in the South. The Gem State’s increase was matched by North Carolina. South Carolina showed the most population growth percentagewise at 1.7%, followed by Florida and Texas both at 1.6%.
The South, which was already the nation’s most populous region, accounted for 87% of the nation’s growth in 2023, the Census Bureau reported. The South added more than 1.4 million residents between 2022 and 2023 for a total population of 130,125,290.
Idaho’s population estimate for 2023 is 1,964,726 — just 25,274 under the 2 million mark.
A Brennan Center for Justice report release Tuesday projects that Idaho should gain a third seat in the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2030 census.
Since the 2020 census Idaho has added nearly 126,000 residents. Since the start of the millennium, Idaho’s population has increased by 670,773.
Utah was the ninth-fastest growing state in terms of percentage at 1.1%.
Idaho and Utah are theonly Intermountain West states to see more than 1% population growth between 2022 and 2023, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Tuesday.