(The Center Square) – Maryland ranks eighth in the nation for population loss.
The United States Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 national and state population estimates released Thursday reflects the state lost an estimated 9,950 people over the past year.
In 2020, according to the report, Maryland had an estimated population of 6,177,213. The state recorded an estimated drop of 2,603 residents to 6,174,610 in 2021, the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. For 2022, the state recorded the drop of 9,950 as the population dipped to 6,146,660.
Maryland ranked eighth in the report for population declines, sitting just ahead of Mississippi and Ohio yet just behind West Virginia, Oregon, and Louisiana.
The report shows that following historically low changes in population through the first two years of the pandemic, the nation saw a 0.4% increase in population this year.
The South, according to the report, had the strongest population growth, with Texas and Florida leading the way. The Northeast saw a drop of 218,851 in population.
