Census figures released this week indicate Florida has passed New York as the nation’s third largest state with an estimated population of Among other Southern states, North Carolina passed Michigan as the ninth largest state and Georgia, ranked eighth, passed the 10 million mark.
The 10 fastest-growing states last year were in the South or the West, the Census found, with the exception of North Dakota, which led the nation with 2.2 percent population growth, the result of an oil production boom.
States losing headcount in the annual survey were Illinois, West Virginia, Connecticut, New Mexico, Alaska and Vermont.
The Sunshine State adds on average 803 residents daily.
