The US population grows each year as more people are born and immigrants move into the country. But not all areas of the country experience the same levels of growth. In fact, one state – West Virginia – lost population between 2000 and 2021.
Different rates of migration into a state from within the country and different birth rates historically account for the largest differences in population growth between states. However, death rates became the second-largest driver of population growth differences between 2020 and 2021, due in part to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
