Out of 3,144 counties in the United States, Marion County had the ninth-highest net domestic migration last year, adding over 15,000 residents at a rate over ten times higher than the national average.
That’s according to the United States Census Bureau’s Vintage 2023 estimates of population and components of change, which was published by the organization on Thursday.
“More U.S. counties experienced population gains than losses in 2023, as counties in the South saw faster growth and more Northeast and Midwest counties had population losses turn to gains,” reads the statement.
A positive net migration rate means more people are entering a county than leaving it. A negative net migration rate means the exact opposite.
According to the organization, the ten counties with the highest levels of “positive net domestic migration” in 2023 included three counties from the Sunshine State: Polk, Pasco, and Marion.
Polk County ranked number 1, growing by 26,029 residents last year, while Pasco County ranked number 3 on the list, growing by 23,750 residents.
Marion County gained 15,167 residents over the specified period. During the previous year, the county gained 13,409.
The organization also provided data on the top 10 counties with “negative net domestic migration” in 2023. Among the leaders was Los Angeles County, California, which lost over 100,000 residents last year, as well as Cook County, Illinois, which lost nearly 60,000. Both of those counties are home to large metropolitan areas in Los Angeles and Chicago, respectively.
According to the bureau, approximately 60% of the country or 1,876 counties grew in population between 2022 and 2023, up from 2021 to 2022, when only 1,649 counties experienced population growth.
Among the nation’s 3,144 counties, the average change in population from 2022 to 2023 was 0.29%, which was up from 0.17% the previous year.
In total, the state of Florida led the nation in growth with approximately 96% of Florida’s 67 counties experiencing growth from 2022 to 2023.
Despite its impressive growth, Marion County was also one of five Florida counties that led the nation in “natural decrease,” which is the number of births less the number of deaths in a county. Marion had a natural decrease of 2,480 individuals, following Pinellas (4,945), Sarasota (3,399), Brevard (3,044), and Volusia (3,003), according to the bureau.
For more information or a complete breakdown of the counties on the list, visit the United States Census Bureau website.