Matt Bush, FISM News
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Republican-led states are seeing the largest and fastest population growth as the largest areas of decline are found where Democrats are running the show.
LARGEST POPULATION GROWTH
The largest population increase was found in Maricopa County, Arizona, where Katie Hobbs (D) won the race for governor in a still hotly contested election last year.
However, the other nine counties with the largest population increases are found in Texas, with six, and Florida, with three. Both Texas and Florida are Republican led states. Even in Arizona, Katie Hobbs is taking over from Doug Ducey, a Republican, who was the Governor in Arizona while the population increase happened.
FASTEST GROWING BY PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION
Whitman County, Washington, which saw its population drop in 2021 by 9.6%, was the fastest growing county in the U.S. in 2022 with a population increase of 10.1%. It is also one of only two counties in a Democrat led state to crack the top 10. In reality, the 10.1% growth represents just 4,835 people and Washington State University’s enrollment grew by 3,261 people that same year, a number counted in Whitman County’s census numbers.
The remaining nine fastest growing counties were found in Texas (Kaufman, Rockwall, Parker, Comal, and Chambers), Florida (Sumter), Georgia (Dawson and Lumpkin), and North Carolina (Brunswick). North Carolina is the only one of those states led by a Democratic governor. However, both chambers of the state legislature are controlled by Republicans. Both U.S. Senators and half of the U.S. Representatives from the state are also Republicans.
MASS EXODUS FROM BIGGEST CITIES
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Los Angeles County had the largest population decline with a decrease in population of 90,704. Cook County, Illinois, the home of Chicago, came in second with a decrease in population of 68,314. To round out the top five, each of the next three counties with the largest decrease in population were located in New York.
The U.S. Census data shows some clear trends and one of the most important is that people are leaving blue states for red states at a statistically relevant rate.
The specific numbers include these states that saw large population losses:
California lost nearly 350,000 residents in 2022, while New York lost about 300,000 and Illinois saw more than 140,000 go elsewhere, per Census numbers. Other states, including New Jersey (-64,231), Massachusetts (-57,292) and Pennsylvania (-39,957), also saw large numbers of residents say goodbye.”
Every state mentioned above has a Democratic Governor.
RED STATES BOOMING
In contrast, other states saw large gains in population with “Florida adding an eye-popping 444,484 residents and Texas adding 470,708. Other population winners include North Carolina (99,796 residents added), South Carolina (+84,030), Tennessee (+81,646) and Georgia (+81,406).”
The results of mass migration from Democrat led states to Republican ones could have major political and financial ramifications.
The 2022 midterm elections saw a razor thin margin of victory for Republicans in the House and for Democrats in the Senate. If population changes add just a few House seats to Republican states or tips the balance of power in even one Senate race to favor Republicans, the entire landscape of American politics could change.
In addition, as more people leave blue states for red ones, the tax revenue of each state is affected. The Hill reported that New York lost $19.5 billion in 2020 and California lost $17.8 billion that same year. Florida, on the other hand, gained $23.7 billion and Texas gained $6.3 billion.
Florida is the third most populous state in the nation and the fastest growing.
“People vote with their feet. We are proud to be a model for the nation, and an island of sanity in a sea of madness,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.