Despite deaths exceeding births in the state, NH’s population still managed to grow during the pandemic due to people moving here from other states as well as international immigrants, according to a recent report from Kenneth M. Johnson, senior demographer at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of NH.
New Hampshire’s population grew by 17,700 (1.3%) to 1,395,000 between April 2020, when the 2020 Census was conducted, and July 2022, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates. And this growth occurred across all 10 counties.
“In contrast, only 52% of the nation’s counties gained population during the period. Such widespread population gains are surprising given that deaths exceeded births in nine of NH’s 10 counties, resulting in 4,100 more deaths than births statewide,” Johnson states. “Only Hillsborough County had slightly more births than deaths (0.1%) over the 27-month period. COVID certainly contributed to this loss, but annual deaths already exceeded births in the state before the pandemic.”
Johnson says NH’s entire population growth is primarily due to 21,600 more people moving in to the state than leaving it. While each of the state’s 10 counties saw out-of-staters moving in, the largest migration gain (5.7%) was in Carroll County.
“These recent data underscore the continuing importance of migration to the state’s future. Such migration gains result both from attracting migrants to the state and retaining the state’s existing residents,” Johnson states.
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