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Shrinking U.S. States

Which U.S. states had a population in 2024 that was at least 1% lower than the highest population ever reached by the state.
Decennial censuses and 2010–2024 annual estimates
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Quizmaster
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Last updated: December 19, 2024
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First submittedDecember 25, 2020
Times taken40,276
Average score60.0%
Rating4.38
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Loss
Peak
State
11.7%
1950
West Virginia
1.8%
2016
Louisiana
1.7%
2020
New York
1.6%
2014
Mississippi
1.5%
2013
Illinois
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42 Comments
Quizmaster
+12
Level ∞
Dec 19, 2024
2024 update. Alaska and California have dropped from the list now. Although slightly below their peak numbers, they are now within 1%.

48/50 states showed population growth in 2024. The only outliers were West Virginia and Vermont.

However, many (most?) states would be losing population if not for large amounts of international immigration.

1ProximaCentauri
+6
Level 53
Dec 26, 2020
According to the Jetpunk chart, it says California has a growing population rate. Is COVID the reason why they are here?
Quizmaster
+18
Level ∞
Dec 26, 2020
California is shrinking because people are moving to other states.
DaffyDucktheWizard
+4
Level 62
Dec 26, 2020
yeah, California has an exodus for two main reasons: wildfires, and cost of living
Quizmaster
+9
Level ∞
Dec 26, 2020
Any evidence of the wildfires claim? I haven't heard that one before.
plattitude
+1
Level 94
Jan 23, 2024
Plenty of anecdotal evidence, based on the number of people in my town who moved here following the Paradise fire. Yet while data is the plural of anecdote, I don't have anything to say it's statistically significant.
1ProximaCentauri
+3
Level 53
Dec 26, 2020
But according to the Jetpunk Charts, California is growing at a rate of 0.8 percent per year. So it isn't entirely shrinking. Yet, it quickly shrunk in a period of two years. Only a sudden event could cause that.
TravelingMama
+4
Level 72
Dec 27, 2020
California mostly grows because of immigration and relatively high birthrate. Both those factors have been affected this year. The outward migration of longtime residents has been increasing for roughly the past decade but seems accelerated this year. It will be interesting to see what happens in 2021.
kapulani3
+5
Level 75
Dec 27, 2020
California wildfires is a normal occurrence. Just like earthquakes, no one moves because of them.
JWatson24
+5
Level 71
Jan 12, 2021
But the wildfires are way worse now than they have been in the past. I don't think it's a major reason why people are moving out of California now, but I have a hunch it might be a more prominent factor in the coming decades.
ander217
+15
Level 73
Jan 13, 2021
I know a couple who lost their home to a wildfire that was driven by the dry, 55 mph El Diablo winds and she barely made it out alive, driving alone through her burning neighborhood with flaming trees falling all around her. The fire destroyed 25 percent of their city and more fires have burned parts of the city since. Then they learned that they could only receive full insurance compensation if they built back on the same property, but new regulations added through the years made that cost-prohibitive. They elected to take less insurance money and move to another house which has since been threatened twice more by fire. Two couples they know have given up and moved to Idaho. The wildfires are getting larger and more frequent in CA and the air quality stays bad for weeks afterward. I realize this is anecdotal and wildfires aren't the only reason people are moving, but after hearing their story I believe they are a factor and it's only going to get worse.
ctleng76
+5
Level 65
Jan 14, 2021
@kapulani3 Wildfires in California are a normal occurrence, but have increased in number and severity in recent years. Also, it is incorrect to say that "no one" moves because of them. Some do. In fact, my Uncle and his family moved for this very reason.
mf3
+2
Level 90
Dec 26, 2020
Thus the photograph.
Scaro88
+7
Level 78
Dec 26, 2020
There’s way too much time most people can type all the states in this time. I think I did around 45 before I finished with around 50 seconds left. Maybe half the time?
pitzikat
+2
Level 75
Dec 26, 2020
I agree. After I finished the quiz, I went back and did it again - not by guessing but by typing all states . . . I learned them as a kid in alphabetical order. After I finished, I still had over a minute left.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Dec 26, 2020
Reduced the time.
1ProximaCentauri
+5
Level 53
Dec 26, 2020
West Virginia was also interesting. I knew it was shrinking, but I had no idea it was that rapid. Apparently, it has the highest death rate in the nation. In 2017, 4500 more people died in the state, than the number of people who were born in the state that year.
kapulani3
+1
Level 75
Dec 27, 2020
I once would have thought it first but since I know of so many people moving there I thought it was growing. Since we are still in 2020 I'm wondering if these numbers were from earlier in the year (census) and as the year progressed people are moving in.
dirtyorange
+1
Level 75
Dec 27, 2020
Something weird just happened. First of all, I didn't do very well but that's not it. I only got half right but I only guessed the hardest eight correctly. The easier ones eluded me. Quite the anomaly.
Nathaniel
+5
Level 77
Jan 12, 2021
Why is Arizona on the thumbnail?
cjraysfan10
+3
Level 79
Jan 12, 2021
Because people are moving there (ie people leaving California)
MD396
+1
Level 58
Jan 25, 2023
We have enough people here as it is.
Quizmaster
+1
Level ∞
Dec 19, 2024
Changed the thumbnail since California is no longer on the list.
Yoshimano
+12
Level 66
Jan 12, 2021
The definition of "shrinking" seems dubious to me, as it should be based on a trend not just the current state compared to peak population.

Thanks!

FreeStater
+1
Level 81
Dec 30, 2022
I could've sworn Vermont was shrinking as well.
NV1
+2
Level 55
Dec 30, 2022
Population grew a lot this year
mf3
+3
Level 90
Dec 31, 2022
That's because with all the tech people being laid off this year, they're clamoring to enter the burgeoning field of maple sugaring.
FreeStater
+1
Level 81
Dec 19, 2024
Looks like they did lose people this year. Not sure what that's about.
SpartanLlama
+1
Level 79
Jan 25, 2023
I was in the middle of typing Mississippi when time ran out. Also missed WV and Louisiana
Sam687
+3
Level 54
Mar 9, 2023
I'm really happy that there's only one midwestern state here. States like Michigan and Ohio have been through I lot so it make me happy to see that they aren't still going downhill.
cathlete
+1
Level 78
Dec 19, 2024
Is this quiz's update that California was removed from the list?
Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Dec 19, 2024
Yes, and Alaska.
vitriden
+5
Level 84
Dec 19, 2024
I've never visited US, but if there is one thing I've learned from these quizzes, it's that, if it is about something negative or wrong within the states, West Virginia will be there. Always.
cathlete
+3
Level 78
Dec 19, 2024
WV has the cheapest housing!
LuckyCat
+2
Level 72
Dec 20, 2024
I was surprised to see WV on the list
Ampersandwich
+1
Level 61
Apr 21, 2025
IDK if you're from the US, but West Virginia here is kinda infamous for its decline. A heavy reliance on coal mining & just about nothing else (given their odd geography & resources) meant once that industry started diminishing (more coal mines shut down or moved west to larger, cheaper ones) thousands of people were left without work. It's already a fairly poor state on top of that.

It's been that way since the 80s, but had already been declining since the 50s - 70s.

Algarve
+1
Level 70
Jan 1, 2025
I came here to comment exactly this!
Pontiac
+1
Level 62
Apr 2, 2026
🤬
CanadianGeo96
+1
Level 62
Feb 13, 2025
West Virginia will keep declining if they keep relying on coal
Curly1400
+1
Level 39
Feb 13, 2025
I live in Illinois. I immediately knew it would be on here.
QuizKoa
+1
Level 52
Feb 14, 2025
I somehow thought it was cities and I only got New York...
MaverickBraxton
+1
Level 22
Oct 20, 2025
Everyone from California is moving to Tennessee. I thought it would be here.
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