DETROIT (WWJ) - Michigan's population is getting closer to the 10 million mark.
U.S. Census information released this week shows the state gained nearly 3,000 new residents last year to move the Michigan population to 9.98 million people.
The last time the state registered 10 million residents was 2007.
The Census Bureau says the U.S. population is at 328.2 million, up slightly from last year. Half of the nation’s population was concentrated in the 10 largest states including Michigan, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina.
The states that added the most residents last year were Texas (367,000) and Florida (233,000).
Some states were among the largest gainers but not the most populous: Arizona (added 121,000), Washington (91,000), Colorado (67,000), South Carolina (65,000), Tennessee (58,000) and Nevada (53,000).
Eight states (Texas, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Washington, Colorado, South Carolina and Nevada) in the top 10 for numeric growth between 2018 and 2019 were also in the top 10 for percentage growth.
Ten states lost population between 2018 and 2019: New York, Illinois, West Virginia, Louisiana, Connecticut, Mississippi, Hawaii, New Jersey, Alaska and Vermont.
West Virginia had the largest percentage decrease, down 0.7%, or 12,000 residents. New York had the largest numeric decrease, losing 77,000 residents (0.4%).
Four states experienced natural decrease (recorded more deaths than births) between 2018 and 2019: West Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. However, in Maine and New Hampshire, migration offset natural decrease, resulting in population gains.