Indiana’s population growth is almost back in line with annual increases before the pandemic, according to a new analysis from IU’s Kelley School of Business.
The school’s Indiana Business Research Center reported that Indiana added nearly 30,000 residents last year. Nearly 6.9 million people now live in the state.
Read more: Indiana metro areas driving state population growth
According to the researchers, more than 20,000 people moved to Indiana in 2023. There were also 7,500 more births than deaths, they said.
“Indiana’s growth was fueled by another year of exceptionally high net in-migration,” the center’s senior demographer, Matt Kinghorn, said Thursday.
“The state had a net inflow of nearly 22,500 residents last year, which is the third consecutive year this measure topped the 20,000-residents mark. For context, we estimate the state had an average net in-migration of 9,100 people per year last decade.”
The researchers also said 23 rural counties experienced combined overall growth in 2023 for the third year in a row. Those populations were declining pre-pandemic.
Indiana’s six-fastest growing counties were all in the Indianapolis metro area.
The Bloomington metro area was among three that lost population in 2023.
