Florida's Population Tops 20 Million

Florida might be the butt of many a joke, but that doesn’t seem to stop people from putting down roots in the Sunshine State.

According to new figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday, Florida is now the country’s third most populous state. An estimated gain of 365,703 people between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015, pushed the state past the 20-million-person mark. The only states in the country that top Florida in population are California with 39.1 million people and Texas with 27.5 million.

Florida’s overall population was pegged at 20,271,272 by the census bureau.

Other states rounding out the country’s top five most populous are New York at No. 4 and Illinois at No. 12.

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Florida, interestingly enough, even beat out California in the number of people added year over year, the government noted in its figures release. That’s the first time that’s happened in a decade.

Florida’s sizeable population gain also tracks with a recently released Harris Poll that named the state No. 1 in the nation for where people want to live. The poll, conducted online between Nov. 11 and Nov. 16, involved a survey of some 2,232 American adults. When the numbers were tallied, Florida came out on top with California, Hawaii, Colorado and New York rounding out the top five. Interestingly enough, pollsters at Harris also determined Florida was the seventh top state named when people were asked where they wouldn’t want to live. California got the dubious No. 1 honors on that question.

What do you think makes Florida so attractive for transplants? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

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