For the first time since the influx of Northeasterners into the state during the Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration, Florida is again the fastest growing state in the country. That’s not a surprise, given the many great reasons to move to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa Bay and other areas of Florida.
However, it’s a significant accomplishment since Florida is also the third biggest state in the union, meaning that it took a huge population boost to make the state also the fastest growing. But the Sunshine State achieved that goal in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The state grew by 1.9 percent, reaching an estimated population of 22.2 million people. That makes it the fastest growing state for the first time since 1957, when Ike was in the White House, “The Bridge on the River Kwai” topped the movie box office and the Milwaukee Braves beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
At the same time, the state’s unemployment rate also dropped to the lowest level since 2006, which helps explain why many businesses move to Florida.
Facts About Florida’s Amazing Growth
While Florida had not been the fastest growing state since 1957, that didn’t mean it wasn’t growing fast. Numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau show that since the post-World War II era that started in 1946, Florida has grown every year.
That includes a period in the 1950s – the height of the Baby Boom – when Florida grew by an average of 6.1 percent per year. That’s far faster than the national rate of 1.5 percent to 2 percent during that decade.
Florida continued to grow from 1960 to 1989, with an average growth rate of 3 percent, about double the national average. The state has essentially doubled national growth in the years since. Its population is nine times what it was in 1946.
The State That Has Kept Florida From Being the Fastest Growing
So, how could a state with those kinds of growth numbers not be the fastest growing since 1957? The Census Bureau data provides an answer: the state of Nevada.
Nevada had only 146,000 people in 1946, making it easier to post big percentage gains. Nevada was the fastest growing state for 36 of the 76 years since 1946. Other small population states that have grown quickly also have taken the No. 1 fastest growing spot since 1957, including Arizona, Utah and Idaho.
But for 2022, Florida once again took the top spot. Gov. Ron DeSantis responded by saying that “Florida continues to outpace the nation” on population growth and lower unemployment. In early 2023, he also proposed a budget that invests billions into infrastructure projects while also cutting $2 billion in taxes. That’s almost certain to help Florida remain near the top of the list of the fastest growing states in the years to come.