Polk County No. 1 in net domestic migration, data finds

By Michael Costeines

Published Mar. 15, 2024, 10:20 a.m. ET | Updated Mar. 15, 2024

Polk County, Fla. (Photo/Polk County)

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Americans appear to want to move into Polk County after it topped every county in the country for net domestic migration, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Polk County, located in Central Florida, added over 26,000 people in 2023. The county also had a strong 29,600 arrivals in 2022.

Montgomery County, located in Texas, was next best with 25,501 new additions. The rest of the top five include Pasco County, Florida; Collin County, Texas; and Denton County, Texas.

Pasco County, along Florida’s west coast, added 23,750 residents in 2023. Just north of Tampa, the county also collected over 24,000 new arrivals in 2022.

Marion County, another Florida location, finished ninth on the list. A northern area, home to Ocala, tallied over 15,000 new residents in 2023. The county also added 13,409 residents in 2022.

Of all states for domestic net migration, only Florida, Texas, Arizona, and South Carolina made the top 10. Florida’s three destinations overall were just behind five locations in Texas for most on the list.

Furthermore, county figures are overlapped by state data showing Florida ahead of the class. The Census said Florida gained 365,205 new residents in 2023, right behind Texas at 473,453.

New York, in contrast, decreased by 100,000 residents while California dropped 75,000.

And what blue state counties are Americans specifically venturing away from?

The answer is woefully headlined by Los Angeles County, California. The Pacific coast area, home to Los Angeles, dwindled by 119,000 people in 2023. It also subtracted 144,00 people in 2022.

California, doomed in mass exodus, also placed Orange County, San Diego County, and Santa Clara County in the bottom 10. The three counties lost a combined 96,000 residents in 2023.

Cook County, Illinois, with 58,000 departures, finished second as a fleeing getaway area for Americans. Home to Chicago, it also lost nearly 100,000 residents in 2022.

Rounding-out the top five were Kings County, New York; Queens County, New York; and Miami-Dade County, Florida. Both New York locations were also among four counties to lose more than 50,000 residents.

Miami-Dade County, along Florida’s southern end, lost nearly 46,000 residents in 2023. Home to Miami, it also lost over 38,000 residents in 2022.