South Carolina is now officially the fastest-growing state in the nation. New U.S. Census Bureau estimates show the state grew 1.5% between July 2024 and July 2025, the highest rate in the country.
During that 12-month period, South Carolina added 79,958 residents, driven largely by net domestic migration of 66,622 people. That means more Americans moved to South Carolina from other states than anywhere else by percentage.
For Rock Hill and York County, the trend is familiar. Traffic congestion continues to worsen, emergency services face higher call volumes, and utilities are racing to keep up with demand as growth spreads south from Charlotte.
South Carolina’s growth rate edged down slightly from 1.8% in 2024, but it still outpaced fast-growing neighbors like North Carolina (1.3%) and Georgia (0.9%). Texas and Florida added more people overall, but South Carolina grew faster relative to its size.
Top 10 States by Percent Growth: 2024 to 2025
| Rank | Geographic Area | April 1, 2020 (Estimates Base) |
July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2025 | Percent Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates. | |||||
| 1 | South Carolina | 5,118,250 | 5,490,316 | 5,570,274 | 1.5% |
| 2 | Idaho | 1,839,123 | 2,000,872 | 2,029,733 | 1.4% |
| 3 | North Carolina | 10,441,392 | 11,052,061 | 11,197,968 | 1.3% |
| 4 | Texas | 29,149,498 | 31,318,578 | 31,709,821 | 1.2% |
| 5 | Utah | 3,271,601 | 3,502,983 | 3,538,904 | 1.0% |
| 6 | Delaware | 989,950 | 1,050,123 | 1,059,952 | 0.9% |
| 7 | Washington | 7,707,519 | 7,927,958 | 8,001,020 | 0.9% |
| 8 | Arizona | 7,158,104 | 7,556,424 | 7,623,818 | 0.9% |
| 9 | Nevada | 3,105,593 | 3,253,543 | 3,282,188 | 0.9% |
| 10 | Tennessee | 6,912,319 | 7,251,291 | 7,315,076 | 0.9% |
Nationally, population growth slowed. The U.S. added 1.8 million people, or 0.5%, during the same period. Lower international migration was the main reason for the slowdown, even as domestic moves reshaped the Southeast.
Census officials say migration, not births, continues to fuel South Carolina’s rise. The state ranked fifth nationally in total numeric growth but finished first in percentage growth.
For Rock Hill, the numbers confirm what residents already see daily. Growth is no longer coming—it is already here, and the pressure is building.
