What U.S. states are in decline?

U.S. states experiencing population decline, often due to domestic outmigration, include historically populous states like New York, California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, along with others like West Virginia, Louisiana, Hawaii, and Oregon, with projections suggesting continued decline in some of these regions, driven by factors like high costs, shifting work patterns, and migration towards the Sun Belt.

Which US states are declining in population?

The U.S. states consistently losing population in recent years (around 2023-2024) include New York, Illinois, California, West Virginia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and Oregon, driven primarily by residents moving to other states due to factors like high costs, taxes, and lifestyle changes, with some, like New York and Illinois, seeing declines even before the pandemic. While many states experienced pandemic-related shifts, these states have ongoing demographic challenges, though some, like New York and Illinois, showed signs of slowing losses in 2023-2024, while California even saw slight growth, indicating evolving trends.
 

Which state is being left the most?

The states with the most people leaving are consistently California, New York, and Illinois, often cited for high costs, taxes, and quality of life issues, with other states like New Jersey also seeing significant outflows. While California and New York lose large numbers in absolute terms, Illinois frequently has a higher percentage of residents moving out relative to its population, driven by high taxes and budget concerns, with many heading to warmer, more affordable southern states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee.
 

What are the slowest growing states?

The slowest growing U.S. states recently include Louisiana, Hawaii, and Maine, with some states like West Virginia, Mississippi, and Vermont even losing population, while traditional slow-growers like New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Connecticut have seen minimal growth or flatlining, though some are rebounding slightly, according to Pew Research and Census data from 2024-2025.
 

Which state is booming in the USA?

Over the next 25 years, Texas is projected to gain 8.6 million residents, the highest absolute increase across states. Like Texas, Florida and California are projected to lead nationally in population gains, adding 5.2 million and 3.1 million people, respectively.

Decline of the United States

What is the #1 overpopulated state?

The U.S. state with the largest population is California, which has some 39,000,000 residents.

Which states are the cheapest to live in?

The cheapest states to live in consistently include West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri, and Iowa, generally in the South and Midwest, due to low housing costs, groceries, and utilities, with West Virginia often ranking as the lowest overall, followed closely by the others with strong cost-of-living indexes. These states offer significantly lower expenses compared to the national average, making them ideal for budget-conscious living, though specific city/county costs vary.
 

Which state is the most empty?

The "most empty state" in the U.S. by population density is consistently Alaska, followed by Wyoming and Montana, due to vast size, harsh climate, and limited infrastructure, while the least populated state by total number of residents is Wyoming, with large empty regions also found in states like Nevada, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in Alaska is particularly sparse, with fewer than 4 people per 100 miles.
 

What is the #1 happiest state in the US?

Hawaii consistently ranks as the happiest and least stressed state in the United States, characterized by high levels of emotional and physical well-being among its residents.

What state do Americans want to move to most?

The relocation tech company used proprietary data collected from 2020 through October 1, 2025, to analyze move trends. The report found that four of the top 10 states people are looking to move to most are located in the South. South Carolina is the most popular state to move to for the sixth year in a row.

What state is paying $10,000 to move there?

Oklahoma. Tulsa Remote is a program designed to help remote workers interested in moving to Oklahoma. It offers $10,000 to anyone who meets the five eligibility criteria below. Once you've applied, select applicants will be interviewed by Tulsa staff in order to learn more about your background and interest in the city ...

Which U.S. state has the most people leaving?

Top outbound states by volume: New York lost the most residents from 2020 to 2024 with 446,814 people leaving, followed by California with 530,886 net outbound, and Illinois with 139,399 departures, representing the largest absolute population losses in the nation.

Is Texas losing population?

No, Texas is not losing overall population; it's experiencing significant growth, adding more residents than any other state, driven by migration and job opportunities, though this growth is uneven, with some rural areas shrinking while major metros boom, and lower birth rates suggest future growth might slow, notes The Texas Tribune. 

What year will the U.S. population start to decline?

The U.S. population is projected to peak around 2080, reaching about 370 million, and then begin a slow decline, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, with deaths starting to outpace births in the late 2030s or 2040s depending on immigration levels. While some analyses suggest a potential slight dip as early as 2025 due to falling birth rates and fluctuating migration, the significant, sustained decline is expected later this century, impacting economic and social structures. 

Where is the cheapest but nicest place to live in the US?

The cheapest, best places to live in the U.S. often involve the Midwest and South, with cities like Wichita (KS), Fort Wayne (IN), Dayton (OH), and Knoxville (TN) offering low housing costs and good value, while states like West Virginia, Mississippi, and Oklahoma consistently rank as most affordable overall. Key factors are low housing prices and a cost of living significantly below the national average, with some top contenders being Decatur (IL), Enid (OK), and Brownsville (TX), but "best" depends on balancing budget with lifestyle needs like jobs, culture, and amenities. 

What state has the friendliest people?

While subjective, studies and surveys consistently rank Minnesota, Tennessee, and South Carolina as some of the friendliest U.S. states, often followed by Texas and Wyoming, with general "Southern hospitality" and Midwest politeness often cited, though perceptions of "niceness" (like Minnesota's reserved style) can vary.
 

Which state is most unaffordable?

California is generally considered the most unaffordable state due to extremely high housing costs, driving up overall expenses, though Hawaii often leads in housing expense relative to income, and states like Montana also face severe affordability crises due to housing shortages and population influx. Rankings vary slightly depending on the metric (cost of living, housing cost vs. income, monthly bills), but California consistently ranks near the very bottom for affordability.
 

What is the blackest state by population?

Texas has the largest Black population by sheer numbers, but the District of Columbia (a territory, not a state) and states like Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Maryland have the highest percentages (or proportions) of Black residents relative to their total populations. So, Texas has the most, but D.C., Mississippi, and Louisiana are "blackest" by percentage. 

What is the actual population of China?

China's population is around 1.4 billion, with recent estimates for 2024 hovering near 1.408 billion, though it's a figure in decline, having started shrinking in 2022, with projections suggesting significant drops by 2050 and 2100. While still the world's most populous nation, its growth rate is negative, with a rapidly aging demographic, leading to forecasts of a substantial population contraction in coming decades, potentially falling to 1.3 billion by 2050. 

What are the top 3 crowded states?

The top 3 most populated U.S. states are consistently California, Texas, and Florida, followed by New York, with California leading by a significant margin, Texas as a strong second, and Florida growing rapidly to hold the third spot, based on recent estimates and projections from sources like the U.S. Census Bureau and World Population Review.
 

Where are Americans moving to in 2025?

In 2025, Americans are largely moving to ** Southeastern states like South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee**, drawn by affordability, warmer climates, and access to nature, with cities like Myrtle Beach, Raleigh, and Greenville seeing major influxes. Other popular spots include Idaho, Florida, and Alaska, while suburbs and smaller cities in the Sun Belt region (Texas, Arizona) also attract many, with some even looking internationally to places like Mexico and Canada.
 

What states are considered the happiest?

Hawaii is the happiest state in America for the second year in a row. Hawaii landed the top spot on WalletHub's list with an overall score of 65.50. It ranked third for emotional and physical well-being, 16th for work environment and 13th for community and environment.

What state is hiring the most right now?

California, Texas, and Florida consistently lead in the sheer number of job openings, but states like Massachusetts and New Hampshire rank highest for overall job market health and opportunity due to factors like economic environment and low unemployment. Manufacturing-heavy regions, particularly the "Battery Belt" (Michigan, Georgia, Carolinas), also show high demand for skilled labor, creating numerous vacancies, notes Visual Capitalist.