Kansas population shows no growth in ’22, beset by more outmigration

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The population in Kansas remained relatively flat in 2022 even as the state continued to lose people migrating elsewhere in the United States, new census data show.

New census estimates released just before Christmas showed that Kansas lost 772 people – barely a fraction of a percentage point – from July 1, 2021, through July 1, 2022.

It’s lost 697 from April 2020 to last July 1.

Eighteen states saw their population decline in 2022, compared to 15 states in 2021, the Census Bureau reported.

States suffering the worst losses numerically were New York (-180,341), California (-113,649), Illinois (-104,437), Pennsylvania, (-40,051), and Louisiana (-36,857).

States with the biggest gains numerically were Texas (470,708), Florida (416,754), North Carolina (133,088), Georgia (124,847), and Arizona (94,320).

Overall, states in the East and Midwest saw population fall during the time period, while states in the West and South gained people, according to the Census Bureau’s estimates.

The Census Bureau reported that population in the northeast dropped by 218,851 residents, while the Midwest saw a decline of about 48,910.

The South was flourishing with an increase of about 1.4 million people, while the West picked up about 153,600 people.

Population growth nationwide has started to rebound after dipping to historic lows during the pandemic.

The country’s population increased by 0.4%, or roughly 1.2 million people in 2022, fueled largely by international migration, the Census Bureau reported.

“There was a sizeable uptick in population growth last year compared to the prior year’s historically low increase,” said Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau.

“A rebound in net international migration, coupled with the largest year-over-year increase in total births since 2007, is behind this increase,” Wilder said in a statement.

Overall, Kansas ranked 35th out of the 50 states in numerical population growth for 2021-22, the Census Bureau’s estimates show.

Kansas’ neighbors have been showing better population trends even if the Midwest as a whole has been losing people.

The new numbers out last week showed that Missouri’s population had risen about 8,100, while Iowa’s had increased about 2,800 within the last year.

Nebraska’s population jumped about 4,400, and Oklahoma climbed by about 28,600. Colorado’s population increased by about 28,600.

The population estimates for Kansas reflect a trend that’s been playing out for years in a state with an aging population, a record low birthrate and a lack of people moving into the state in robust numbers.

Over the last 20 years, the state has seen declines in the 35-44 age bracket and the 45-54 age bracket, state health department data show.

The fastest growing age brackets in Kansas are seniors from 55 to 74.

A new state report shows the 2021 birth rate was 11.8 per 1,000 population, unchanged from 2020, which was the lowest birth rate since 1912.

Births exceeded deaths in Kansas in 2021-22 by about 2,000, but people continued to leave the state by the thousands.

For instance, the latest Census Bureau estimates show that Kansas lost a net of nearly 1,900 people who left the state for other places from 2021 to 2022.

The state lost about 7,400 people because of domestic migration from 2021 to 2022, offset partially by the roughly 5,500 coming to the state because of international migration.

From 2020 to 2022, the state lost about 14,400 to domestic migration, which was eased by the 7,700 coming into the state because of international migration.

Net in-migration accounted for about 32% of the state’s population increase in the 1990s, but it accounted for only about 4% of the population increase in the 2000s.

In the 2010s, Kansas became a net outmigration state.

The natural increase of about 111,000 persons during the last decade was reduced by net outmigration of about 26,000 persons, the state health department reported.

Kansas was one of 25 states and the District of Columbia that lost residents because of net domestic migration in 2021-22.

The largest domestic migration losses were in California (-343,230), New York (-299,557) and Illinois (-230,513).

The largest net domestic migration gains were see in Florida (318,855), Texas (230,961) and North Carolina (99,796).

The 2020 census showed that Kansas grew by 3% from the 2010, the lowest growth since the 1930s when the state lost 4.3% of its population.

The population in Kansas rose by 8.5% in the 1990s, 4.8% in the 1980s and 5.2% in the 1970s.

Population growth has been a trickle for most of the 2010s, growing from about 2.85 million in 2010 to about 2.94 in 2020 where it still roughly is today.