MIAMI – Already the nation's third-largest state, Florida gained more than 300,000 new residents in 2018, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau Wednesday.
The Sunshine State ranked fifth in the nation in terms of percentage of growth, behind Nevada, Idaho, Utah and Arizona.
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The Census Bureau said Florida had the highest level of net domestic migration in 2018, bringing in 132,602 new residents from other parts of the country. Since 2010, Florida has added more than 1.5 million people from other parts of the U.S.
The Census Bureau did not break the population gains down by region. That data will be released next year.
Some of Florida's gains may be Puerto Rico's loss. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the government said the island's population declined by roughly 130,000 people.
"Puerto Rico has seen a steady decline in population over the last decade," said Sandra Johnson of the census bureau. "Hurricane Maria in September of 2017 further impacted that loss, both before and during the recovery period."
Nine states -- including New York, Illinois, West Virginia, Louisiana and Hawaii -- lost population in 2018.
Top 5 most populous states for 2018
- California - 39,557,045
- Texas - 28,701,845
- Florida - 21,299,325
- New York - 19,542,209
- Pennsylvania - 12,807,060