Maryland reverses population decline in 2023

Frederick County continues to be state's fastest growing county; Baltimore, Montgomery, Prince George's see population decrease since 2020

Mostly aided by people moving to Frederick County, Maryland saw its population increase by more than 16,000 people in 2023, according to new U.S. Census Bureau figures.

Due to declines in 2021 and 2022, the Old Line State has only added about 3,000 people since the 2020 Census count to reach 6.18 million. That 0.05 percent gain is well below the national average of 1.0 percent. Washington, D.C., New York, California, and Pennsylvania are among those that experienced population declines.

Frederick County continued to be the state's fastest-growing county, adding anther 6,000 residents in 2023. Frederick, which has seen a housing development boom in recent years, leading to complaints by some residents about infrastructure not keeping pace, has seen its population increase by 8 percent since 2020.

Other Maryland counties that have seen slower growth include Howard, Carroll, Anne Arundel, and Charles.

On the other side of the spectrum, more people keep moving out of the city of Baltimore, which saw another 4,000 decline in 2023 to about 565,000. Montgomery and Prince George's - Maryland's most populous counties - added a few more people in 2023, but not enough to make up for declines in the two previous years.

In a recent address before the state legislature, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore stressed job creation, school funding, and the FBI's plans to move its headquarters to the state. "This will be Maryland's decade," he promised.

A state planning report blamed sluggish population growth on higher mortality rates and lower immigration.

Frederick, which features a creek-lined walkway through its downtown, continues to lead Maryland in population growth.Photo byKevin Shay

Virginia continues to add people

Virginia, which recently announced plans to attract the Washington Capitals and Wizards from D.C., added more than 36,000 people last year to hit 8.72 million.

The Old Dominion State has seen a 1.0 percent population increase since 2020. Suburban counties such as Loudoun have fueled the uptick, while Fairfax County next to D.C. and Virginia Beach experienced population drops.

Nationally, the South continued to see the highest population growth rate among regions with a 0.56 percent hike in 2023. Florida saw its population rise by 5 percent since 2020, while Georgia experienced an almost 3 percent hike.

The Northeast and Midwest recorded declines, though not as much as in previous years.

“Areas which experienced high levels of domestic out-migration during the pandemic, such as in the Midwest and Northeast, are now seeing more counties with population growth," Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau’s population estimates department, said in a statement. "Meanwhile, county population growth is slowing down out west, such as in Arizona and Idaho.”

Population change for selected states, counties, cities, 2020-2023

Area .... Population [millions] July 2023 .... Change from April 2020
Maryland .... 6.180 .... +0.05%
Frederick Ct. .... 0.293 .... +8.0
Anne Arundel Ct. .... 0.595 .... +1.1
Howard Ct. .... 0.336 .... +1.1%
Montgomery Ct. .... 1.058 .... -0.3%
Prince George's Ct. .... 0.967 .... -0.2%
Baltimore City .... 0.565 .... -3.5%

Virginia .... 8.716 .... +1.0%
Loudoun .... 0.436 .... +3.7%
Fairfax Ct. .... 1.142 .... -0.7%
Virginia Beach .... 0.454 .... -1.3%

Florida .... 22.61 .... +5.0%
Texas .... 30.50 .... +4.7%
Delaware .... 1.03 .... +4.2%
Georgia .... 11.03 .... +2.9%
Pennsylvania .... 12.96 ... -0.3%
California ... 38.97 .... -1.4%
Washington, D.C. .... 0.679 .... -1.5%
New York .... 19.57 .... -3.1%
United States .... 334.9 .... +1.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau