South Sees Growth and Development in Population Shift
By Isabella Gomez
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
March 28, 2026
HUNTSVILLE, Ala.
The Census Bureau recently said that slower growth, or even decline, in the populations of the largest counties in some of our largest states can be traced to more births than deaths and negative net migration.
The U.S. continues to see a loss of population in some areas while other parts of the country are booming with new residents.
States along the southeast coast of the U.S. experienced the fastest growth of anywhere in the country, according to the census data.
New estimates show the region outpaced the rest of the country in population growth, with 9 of the 10 fastest-growing counties with populations greater than 20,000 people concentrated in the South.
The population in Jasper County, S.C., a rural county bordering Georgia, grew by 6 percent between 2024 and 2025 to 38,533 residents. The remainder of the 10 fast-growing counties included four in Texas, three in Georgia and one in North Carolina.
The Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan areas topped the list for numeric growth over the data period, followed by the Atlanta metro area.
Growth rates among metro areas were highest in Florida and South Carolina.
Ocala, located in north central Florida between Gainesville and Orlando, led the nation with 3.4 percent growth. The Myrtle Beach area in South Carolina, a popular tourist and retirement destination, was next with 3.2 percent, followed by Spartanburg, S.C., at 2.8 percent.
Population also increased in many micropolitan areas, defined as having at least one urban area of between 10,000 and 50,000 residents, across the South.
Jefferson, Ga., about 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, grew by 5.3 percent over the data period, nearly double the rate of any other area of its size.
Seven of the 10 states with the largest numeric growth were in the South, spread across Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida. The remaining three were Seaford, Del.; Cedar City, Utah; and Shelton, Wash.
Population growth in the South has historically been driven by an increase in people moving from other states in search of warmer weather and more favorable tax policies.
Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky and North Carolina have among the lowest income tax rates on the highest earners, making up four of the Top 11, according to TurboTax.
Florida and Texas do not collect state income tax, and lawmakers in South Carolina have moved to reduce the state income tax to eventually eliminate it.
Retirees are also flocking to the South, with a recent study finding that South Carolina added 5,427 residents over the age of 65 in 2025 — the highest net gain in the country.
The study, conducted by moving platform HireAHelper, also found that nearly every state in the South experienced a net gain in movers older than 65, with South Carolina, Texas and North Carolina leading the pack. Virginia was the only Southern state to experience a net migration loss among that age group.
The census data also reflected a growing trend of people fleeing blue states such as California and New York to move to red states, raising questions about the potential impact on future elections.
Population estimates for 2030 suggest some prominent Democratic-led states could lose seats in the House, while Republican-held states could gain seats.
That shift could potentially complicate the electoral math for Democrats at the presidential level, forcing them to become more competitive in traditionally solid red states. The Hill
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