New Census Bureau estimates show the South grew nearly twice as fast as the nation from 2020 to 2025 and was the only U.S. region to record gains in every major age group.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Southern United States recorded the nation’s strongest population growth across every major age group between 2020 and 2025, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday.
The Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 population estimates showed the South grew 6.0% from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2025. That rate was nearly double the national growth rate of 3.1% during the same period.
The region was also the only part of the country to post population gains in all five age categories tracked by the Census Bureau: children ages 0 to 17, young adults ages 18 to 24, adults in early work and family-building years ages 25 to 44, adults in midlife ages 45 to 64 and residents ages 65 and older.
The Census Bureau announcement said the new county-level data offer a closer look at which age groups are driving population changes across different stages of life.
“Regional age patterns are changing for a few key reasons,” said Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates branch. “The continued transition of baby boomers into retirement age, compounded by local migration and fertility patterns, is shifting the demographic makeup of the country. The South stands out because it is seeing population gains in age groups that in other regions saw little change or are declining, reflecting its strong positive migration patterns this decade.”
The figures show a broad demographic shift rather than growth concentrated only among retirees or working-age adults. While other regions saw weaker gains, flat numbers or declines in certain age categories, the South outpaced every other region in each of the five groups.
The Census Bureau attributed the trend to a combination of aging, migration and fertility patterns. Baby boomers moving further into retirement age are changing the country’s age structure, while migration has continued to reshape where Americans live.
The South’s gains come after years of reports pointing to movement away from higher-cost states and toward Southern states with more affordable housing and wage opportunities. A 2022 report said many black Americans were leaving Democrat-run New York and California for better wages and more affordable housing in the South.
Other population data have pointed to similar shifts. Census data reported in January by The Hill showed about 7.1 million people moved to a different state between 2023 and 2024.
Florida received the largest number of movers from other states in 2024, gaining about 574,000 new residents, according to the report. Texas was the only other state to receive more than half a million out-of-state residents, with roughly 556,000.
The Census Bureau’s new estimates also come as separate labor data suggest changes in the foreign-born population under President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data analyzed by Center for Immigration Studies Director of Research Steven Camarota showed the foreign-born population age 16 and older declined by another 101,000 in September, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
From January through September, the number of foreign-born U.S. residents ages 16 and older fell by 2 million, according to Camarota’s analysis. He estimated that the total foreign-born population, including those younger than 16, declined by 2.3 million.
The foreign-born population had increased by 7.4 million from early 2021 through January 2025 under former President Joe Biden, the outlet noted.
The new Census estimates underscore the South’s growing influence in national demographic trends. With gains across children, young adults, working-age residents, midlife adults and retirees, the region has become the country’s clearest center of broad-based population growth.