Idaho tops list of fastest-growing states, U.S. Census Bureau says

BOISE, Idaho -- Federal officials say Idaho had the largest percentage increase in population of any state in the nation in a recent census. On Wednesday, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that Idaho's population from July 2016 to July 2017 increased 2.2 percent to 1.7 million.

The agency says that's about 37,000 more people living in the state. 

"Domestic migration drove change in the two fastest-growing states, Idaho and Nevada, while an excess of births over deaths played a major part in the growth of the third fastest-growing state, Utah," said Luke Rogers, Chief of the Population Estimates Branch.

He says that's the same for Nevada that had the second fastest percentage increase at 2 percent. 

Rogers says Utah landed at No. 3 on the list at 1.9 percent due to more births than deaths in that state. Washington was ranked as No. 4 on the list at 1.7 percent, followed by Florida and Arizona at 1.6 percent. 

According to the agency, the U.S. population grew by 2.3 million between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017, representing a 0.72 percent increase to 325.7 million.