The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals a notable trend: New York, California, and several other states under Democratic governance experienced significant population declines in 2023.
According to the bureau’s recent report, eight states, predominantly led by Democratic governors, observed a decrease in their population this year. New York led the pack with the loss of 101,984 residents, closely followed by California, which saw 75,423 residents depart. Other states facing notable population declines include Illinois, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania.
In total, these states collectively lost 249,161 residents in 2023, a decrease from the 509,789 recorded the previous year. Despite these ongoing population declines since 2020, the rate of decrease has slowed down, as reported by the census bureau.
Interestingly, four of the states experiencing significant population losses ranked among the top 10 most populous states in the country. California remained the most populous, followed by Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
New York Representative Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican Conference, attributed the exodus from New York to what she described as the state’s “Far Left Democrat leadership.” Stefanik criticized Governor Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats for creating conditions that have led to residents fleeing the state, citing concerns such as record crime rates and soaring living costs.
Meanwhile, neighboring New Jersey, also governed by Democrats, saw a population increase of 30,024 in 2023 after experiencing a decline the previous year.
The census bureau’s report also highlighted the population growth observed in southern states, predominantly governed by Republicans. States like Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia accounted for a significant portion of the nation’s population growth in 2023.
Texas notably experienced the largest numeric change, with an addition of 473,453 residents, followed by Florida with 365,205 new residents. Additionally, South Carolina saw the highest percentage growth in population, followed closely by Florida, Texas, Idaho, and North Carolina.
Demographer Kristie Wilder from the Census Bureau noted that the nation’s population growth is attributed to factors such as migration returning to pre-pandemic levels and a decrease in deaths, resulting in the largest population gain since 2018.
