The U.S. Census Bureau data shows that more Americans are leaving Democrat-run states and moving to GOP-led states, with the South being the biggest winner in terms of population growth.
Red states like Texas and Florida have seen significant gains from this internal migration, while blue states such as California, Illinois, and New York are losing residents.
“The expansion of the South — the nation’s most populous region — accounted for 87% of the nation’s growth in 2023, as the region added over 1.4 million residents for a total population of 130,125,290,” the Census Bureau said.
This shift in population has significant financial and political implications.
Blue states are projected to lose tax revenue and congressional representation.
This trend suggests that GOP-led states are experiencing more success and growth compared to blue states, which are facing population decline and outmigration.
“The South is the only region to have maintained population growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth in 2023 can largely be attributed to the region’s migration patterns as 706,266 people were added via net domestic migration, while net international migration contributed almost 500,000 to the total,” the bureau said.
“The Northeast’s population declined in 2023, down 43,330, but the loss was considerably smaller than the 216,576 decline in 2022 or the 187,054 decline in 2021, reflecting substantially less outmigration to other regions,” the bureau said.
