GEORGIA, USA — Editor's note: The video above is about where people are moving to Georgia from
Georgia has exceeded the 11 million population mark in 2023, according to the US Census Bureau's website, aligning with broader national trends that show population norms returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Notably, the South emerged as a driving force behind the nation's growth, contributing to 87% of the increase in 2023, the Census said. Georgia, in particular, played a crucial role in this trend, witnessing a population surge of 116,077, bringing the state's total population to 11,029,227.
The United States overall experienced a modest but significant overall population growth of 0.5%, adding more than 1.6 million people to reach a total population of 334,914,895, the Census said.
Data show Georgia is the eighth most-populous state, closer than three years ago to Ohio. In 2020, Ohio had more than a million more people than Georgia -- now that number is closer to 750,000.
Georgia's addition of roughly 116,000 people were the fourth-most in the country, behind North Carolina, Florida and Texas.
The growth in the South was primarily fueled by migration patterns, with over 700,000 people added through net domestic migration and nearly 500,000 through net international migration. Unlike other regions, the South maintained consistent population growth even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Census, Georgia's growth is part of a broader shift where more states are experiencing population growth compared to previous years. In 2023, 42 states and the District of Columbia saw an increase in population, marking a positive shift from 2022. This reflects a nationwide trend of deaths and net international migration returning to pre-pandemic levels, coupled with reduced net domestic outmigration for some states.
While Georgia's growth contributes to the overall positive national trend, the US Census said it is noteworthy that the concentration of population growth is diversifying. Unlike 2022, where four southern states dominated with 93% of the nation's growth, 2023 saw a more distributed growth, with Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia accounting for 67% of the increase.
11Alive took a look at the data published annually by the Census Bureau earlier in December, which showed where people were moving to Georgia from, echoing the diversifying population growth in the state. Along with where people are coming from, data also showed where people who left the state were going.