The Top 10 Fastest Growing States

Utah is the nation's fastest-growing state according to the latest census data. Its population climbed 2.5 percent in the last reported year.

The only two states to lose population were Michigan and Rhode Island. Michigan's population declined 0.5 percent (46,000), while Rhode Island's fell 0.2 percent (2,000).

California remained the most populous state, with about 36.8 million people on July 1, 2008. Rounding out the top five states were Texas (24.3 million), New York (19.5 million), Florida (18.3 million) and Illinois (12.9 million). 

1. Utah
   Population gain: 67,499
   2008: 2,736,424
   2007: 2,668,925
   % growth: 2.5
2. Arizona
   Population gain: 146,759
   2008: 6,500,180
   2007: 6,353,421
   % growth: 2.3
3. North Carolina
   Population gain: 180,820
   2008: 9,222,414
   2007: 9,041,594
   % growth: 2.0
4. Texas
   Population gain: 483,542
   2008: 24,326,974
   2007: 23,843,432
   % growth: 2.0
5. Colorado
   Population gain: 96,686
   2008: 4,939,456
   2007: 4,842,770
   % growth: 2.0
6. Idaho
   Population gain: 27,671
   2008: 1,523,816
   2007: 1,496,145
   % growth: 1.8
7. Nevada
   Population gain: 45,823
   2008: 2,600,167
   2007: 2,554,344
   % growth: 1.8
8. Wyoming
   Population gain: 9,416
   2008: 532,668
   2007: 523,252
   % growth: 1.8
9. Georgia
   Population gain: 162,447
   2008: 9,685,744
   2007: 9,523,297
   % growth: 1.7
10. South Carolina
    Population gain: 74,886
    2008: 4,479,800
    2007: 4,404,914
    % growth: 1.7

Other highlights:

• On the whole, the Northeastern states have gained population at an increasing rate since 2005, a turnaround from their declining growth rates from 2000 to 2005.
• Six of the 10 fastest-growing states from 2007 to 2008 were Rocky Mountain states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. Three others lined the South Atlantic coast: Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
• The West was the fastest-growing region (1.4 percent) between 2007 and 2008, but the South added the highest number of people over the period (1.4 million).
• The estimated July 1, 2008, population for Puerto Rico was 4 million, up by 0.3 percent (13,000) from one year earlier.