Empire Falls: Florida Now More Populous Than NY

New Yorkers can now chant 'We're No. 4! We're No. 4!'
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 23, 2014 4:44 PM CST
Empire Falls: Florida Now More Populous Than NY
In this 2013 photo, the clear waters of the Wekiva Spring State Park are seen in Apopka, Fla. Sometime in 2014, Florida will surpass New York in population.   (AP Photo/John Raoux)

The state known as America's Waiting Room is moving up in the ranks: According to Census data, Florida has officially deposed New York to become the third most populous state in the union, reports the Washington Post. The Sunshine State is now home to 19.9 million residents, compared to 19.7 million in the Empire State, but it's the difference in growth that's notable: Florida took in 293,000 new residents in the year ending July 1, or about 803 a day. New York managed just 51,000. Florida likely pushed past New York sometime in the spring, notes the AP, but it takes the Census to make it official. Interestingly and unsurprisingly, former New Yorkers make up about 10% of new Floridians. Other demographic nuggets, per the AP:

  • Don't look for Florida to mess with Texas, America's No. 2 state with 27 million people, or No. 1 California's 38.8 million souls.
  • The rest of the 10 most populous states: Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan.
  • Six states lost population: Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, New Mexico, Vermont, and West Virginia.
  • North Dakota was the fastest-growing state, with a 2.2% jump that stood solidly on the shoulders of its energy boom. It's still the fourth least-populous state.
(More New York state stories.)

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