Pennsylvania jumps past Illinois to become fifth most populous state

A Pennsylvania welcome sign in McKean County.
S.MacMillen/Wikipedia Commons

At the beginning of 2017, the annual United Movers Study from United Van Lines found that more people were leaving Pennsylvania than entering the state.

New data from the US Census Bureau begs to differ.

While the latest migration report noted that Pennsylvania was among several states to lose population last year, the Keystone State rebounded over the course of 2017.

Between 2016 and 2017, Pennsylvania's population increased from 12,787,085 to 12,805,537, a big enough boost to surpass Illinois as the fifth most populous state in the country.

The US population, as a whole, grew by 2.3 million people between July 2016 and July 2017, a .72 percent increase to 325.7 million people nationwide.

Curiously, the fastest-growing state in the country over the past year is Idaho, which saw a 2.2 percent rise in population to 1,716,943 people.

Here are the ten most populous states in the country.

1. California - 39,536,653
2. Texas - 28,304,596
3. Florida - 20,984,400
4. New York - 19,849,399
5. Pennsylvania - 12,805,537
6. Illinois - 12,802,023
7. Ohio - 11,658,609
8. Georgia - 10,429,379
9. North Carolina - 10,273,419
10. Michigan - 9,962,311