Migration between the states

The states that gained and lost the most

The Census Bureau's population estimates split each state's change into births, deaths and migration. Net domestic migration is the number of people who moved in from the rest of the United States minus the number who moved out. 31 states gained people this way in the year to June 2025 and 20¹ lost them, counting DC.

The gains are concentrated in the South and the Mountain West. North Carolina, Texas and South Carolina took the largest numbers, followed by Tennessee and Arizona. The losses are concentrated in a few large states: California and New York together lost more than Illinois, New Jersey¹ and every other state combined.

The domestic migration ranking adds rank ranges and IRS figures for every state, and the population growth ranking combines migration with births and deaths.

Counts favour large states, so the rate per 1,000 residents is the better guide to how much migration changes a place. On that measure South Carolina (12.1 per 1,000 residents), Idaho (9.9 per 1,000 residents) and North Carolina (7.6 per 1,000 residents) lead, while New York (−6.9 per 1,000 residents), Hawaii and Alaska¹ lost the largest shares of their populations to other states.

A slower year for the Sun Belt leaders

The 2025 figures are smaller than those of the early 2020s. Florida, which gained 58,411 residents from other states in the year to June 2024, gained 22,517 in the year to June 2025. Texas went from 218,840 in 2022 to 67,299. North Carolina held steady (83,059 in 2024, 84,064¹ in 2025), which is why it moved to the top of the list.

Over the full period since the 2020 Census the ranking looks different. Florida gained 890,348 residents from other states between April 2020 and June 2025 and Texas 812,735, while California lost −1,691,867 and New York −1,106,013¹.

Florida890,348

Texas812,735

North Carolina476,921

South Carolina379,062

Tennessee292,727

Arizona282,626

Georgia232,849

Alabama141,048

Idaho139,784

Oklahoma107,244

Nevada96,046

Arkansas83,544

Montana59,510

Maine56,775

Missouri56,671

Utah54,893

Delaware53,212

Indiana41,968

New Hampshire36,247

Kentucky35,818

South Dakota23,257

Colorado17,729

West Virginia16,553

Wisconsin9,667

Wyoming8,684

Vermont5,385

Oregon−670

North Dakota−6,050

Iowa−10,148

Rhode Island−10,150

New Mexico−10,540

Washington−12,979

Nebraska−14,092

Mississippi−22,888

Alaska−24,270

Kansas−24,277

Connecticut−27,919

Virginia−29,169

Ohio−30,482

District of Columbia−33,903

Minnesota−37,202

Pennsylvania−54,290

Hawaii−59,402

Michigan−65,699

Maryland−134,770

Louisiana−143,806

Massachusetts−182,145

New Jersey−222,194

Illinois−456,378

New York−1,106,013

California−1,691,867

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025.

Show the numbers

State	Net domestic migration since 2020
Florida	890,348
Texas	812,735
North Carolina	476,921
South Carolina	379,062
Tennessee	292,727
Arizona	282,626
Georgia	232,849
Alabama	141,048
Idaho	139,784
Oklahoma	107,244
Nevada	96,046
Arkansas	83,544
Montana	59,510
Maine	56,775
Missouri	56,671
Utah	54,893
Delaware	53,212
Indiana	41,968
New Hampshire	36,247
Kentucky	35,818
South Dakota	23,257
Colorado	17,729
West Virginia	16,553
Wisconsin	9,667
Wyoming	8,684
Vermont	5,385
Oregon	−670
North Dakota	−6,050
Iowa	−10,148
Rhode Island	−10,150
New Mexico	−10,540
Washington	−12,979
Nebraska	−14,092
Mississippi	−22,888
Alaska	−24,270
Kansas	−24,277
Connecticut	−27,919
Virginia	−29,169
Ohio	−30,482
District of Columbia	−33,903
Minnesota	−37,202
Pennsylvania	−54,290
Hawaii	−59,402
Michigan	−65,699
Maryland	−134,770
Louisiana	−143,806
Massachusetts	−182,145
New Jersey	−222,194
Illinois	−456,378
New York	−1,106,013
California	−1,691,867

International migration fell by more than half

Net international migration, the arrival of people from abroad minus departures, is counted separately. For the country as a whole it fell from 2,734,468 in the year to June 2024 to 1,262,202 in the year to June 2025. Florida (178,674), Texas (167,475) and California (109,278¹) received the most. In most of the states that lose people to the rest of the country, arrivals from abroad more than make up for the loss.

Three ways to measure moves, and why they differ

No single source counts every move. This site uses three, and each answers a slightly different question.

• Population estimates (Census Bureau, Vintage 2025). Net domestic and international migration for years running July 1 to June 30, built from tax records, Medicare enrollment and other administrative data. These are the official components of each state's population change, with no margin of error published. They are the figures used for rankings on this site.
• American Community Survey state-to-state flows. Survey answers to "where did you live one year ago?", giving gross flows in both directions between every pair of states, with margins of error. In 2025, 2.1%³ of Americans aged one and over had lived in a different state a year earlier. Flows show where movers come from; their margins of error are large for small pairs.
• IRS migration data. Address changes on individual income tax returns between filing years, with the income of the households that moved. The latest state data cover returns filed for 2022 and 2023: Texas gained the most people (112,481) and California lost the most (−200,547⁴). People who do not file returns are missed.

Compared over similar periods, the sources mostly agree on which states gain and which lose. They differ more on how many people moved, because they cover different people and periods, and the survey carries sampling error. State pages point out where the sources disagree.

Where residents were born

Migration over a lifetime shows up in birthplace. Nationally, 56.4% of residents live in the state where they were born. Louisiana has the highest share of home-born residents (76.4%); Nevada has the lowest (29.0%), followed by the District of Columbia (32.4%⁵).

Alaska44.6% ±1.3

Idaho44.5% ±1.0

Colorado41.4% ±0.5

Delaware40.2% ±1.4

New Hampshire39.9% ±0.9

Wyoming39.7% ±1.5

Arizona39.2% ±0.4

Florida35.2% ±0.3

District of Columbia32.4% ±1.4

Nevada29.0% ±0.6

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B05002. Whiskers show the 90% margin of error; states whose whiskers overlap may not differ significantly. Period: 2025.

Show the numbers

State	Born in the state where they live	MOE
Alaska	44.6%	±1.3
Idaho	44.5%	±1.0
Colorado	41.4%	±0.5
Delaware	40.2%	±1.4
New Hampshire	39.9%	±0.9
Wyoming	39.7%	±1.5
Arizona	39.2%	±0.4
Florida	35.2%	±0.3
District of Columbia	32.4%	±1.4
Nevada	29.0%	±0.6

How to read migration figures

• Net, not gross. A state with a small net gain can have very large flows in both directions. In 2024, for example, tens of thousands of people moved from South Carolina to North Carolina and tens of thousands moved the other way.
• Estimate years run July to June. "2025" means July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The first year after the census, labelled 2021 here, runs from April 1, 2020.
• Revisions. Each new vintage of estimates revises all years back to 2020. Figures here are from Vintage 2025, released in January 2026; Vintage 2026 is due in December 2026.
• Rates. Rates per 1,000 residents are the ones the Census Bureau publishes with the estimates, so states of any size can be compared.