MIDWEST — The Midwest was the only U.S. region where all states gained population from July 2024 to July 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This population growth includes shifts in Ohio counties linked to migration from high-cost states and corresponding changes in voter registration.

Midwestern metropolitan areas made up the majority of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas over the last two quarters. In 2024, more than 8,000 people moved from California to Ohio, and over 13,000 people relocated to Ohio from New York and New Jersey. Greene County, Jefferson County, and Washington County in Ohio experienced the largest population gains between 2020 and 2024. In 2024 alone, over 1,270 people moved to Greene County, Ohio, from other U.S. states.

Donald Trump won Greene County, Jefferson County, and Washington County in the 2024 election. Yellow Springs, Ohio, saw 8% of its residents move from another state in 2024, a rate four times the national average. Greene County, Ohio, added nearly 2,000 Democrats to its voter rolls and reported a 112% turnout in the May Democratic primary election. The precinct near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Greene County registered a 230% turnout in the May Democratic primary election.

Kim McCarthy, chair of the Greene County Democratic Party, noted the local impact of new residents. "Anecdotally, we’ve made jokes about how we love our California people; [here’s] another one from California. Some of our main people came from California. We are actively creating a party people want to come to, it’s some of that. But we had a 112% turnout in the May primary – we added nearly 2,000 Democrats to the rolls in Greene county," McCarthy said. She also commented on the precinct near the Air Force Base, stating, "A lot of people come here because of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, they tend to be more progressive, without a doubt, even though they’re in the military. That precinct had a 230% turnout [in the May democratic primary election]. It just went crazy."

Kamala Harris received a larger percentage of votes than Joe Biden did in 2020 in many of the fastest growing rural Midwestern counties, including Delaware County, Ohio, in the 2024 election.

Why It Matters

The latest U.S. Census Bureau report indicates a demographic shift with all Midwestern states experiencing population growth, contrasting with other U.S. regions. This migration from high-cost coastal states, particularly to Ohio, is associated with local changes in voter registration and political engagement, as evidenced by increased Democratic voter rolls and high primary election turnouts in some Ohio counties.