The pandemic has exacerbated a huge population shift in the U.S., changing the country's demographics.
The Census Bureau on Dec. 21 released state population and domestic migration estimates from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021.
Though it is impossible to pinpoint one specific cause for the change, a Wall Street Journal op-ed pointed out a correlation between population growth and fewer COVID-19 lockdowns. For example, Texas' net population inflow grew 40 percent compared to the same period from 2018-19, while California's outflow increased by 75 percent.
Rational Ground, which tracks COVID-19 data, found that the 25 states with the most in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year saw a net gain of 822,064 people over other states, according to the Journal.
Here are the five states that gained the most people from July 2020-21:
1. Texas had a numeric growth of 310,288.
2. Florida had a numeric growth of 211,196.
3. Arizona had a numeric growth of 98,330
4. North Carolina had a numeric growth of 93,985.
5. Georgia had a numeric growth of 73,766.
Here are the five states that lost the most people from July 2020-21:
1. New York had a numeric decline of 319,020.
2. California had a numeric decline of 261,902.
3. Illinois had a numeric decline of 113,776.
4. Massachutes had a numeric decline of 37,497.
5. Louisiana had a numeric decline of 27,156.