Elizabeth Troutman | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – Ohio’s population decreased by less than 1% in 2022, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report this month. It was the 10th largest population decline of any state.
The population dropped by 0.07% in 2022, a smaller decrease than 2021 when 0.28% of Ohio residents moved to another state. In 2020, the population decreased by only 0.02%. Ohio is the seventh most populous state in America with 11,780,017 residents.
The state lost 33,175 residents in 2021 and 1,857 in 2020.
Central Ohio grows despite state’s population loss
The majority of the state is growing older and losing residents and workers, according toa new study from the Greater Ohio Policy Center. The Buckeye state saw its population grow by 3% from 2000 to 2020, but the study showed that without Columbus and surrounding areas, the rest of the state lost close to 100,000 people, 1% of its population.
This means that Ohio’s labor force decreased by 91,000 workers, though Central Ohio gained 215,000. Less than 20% of residents live in Columbus.
The majority of Ohio residents live in one of the state’s 22 legacy cities, which were built around a declining manufacturing sector. Aging residents, marginal population change and slow income growth characterize these cities, Axios reported.
Negative net domestic migration cost the Midwest almost 49,000 residents, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. Texas and Florida lead the U.S. in population growth in 2022.
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