Population rates in the United States declined by .04 percent from 2012 to 2013 according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The growth, which was recorded up until July 1, was measured at 0.71 percent compared to 0.75 percent one year earlier. However, only two states actually lost population -- Maine and West Virginia.
Due to a continuing oil boom, North Dakota saw an increase of 3.1 percent -- more than four times the national average at 22,000 more residents.
North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple warmly welcomed the news following years of population decline in the early 2000s.
"Our strong economy and favorable demographic trends, including the fact that North Dakota is getting younger, give us even more reason to be very optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead," he said.
Also mentioned in the report was that the state's average age is getting younger, dropping 37.3 years old in 2008 to 36.1 years old in 2012.
Additionally, Washington, D.C. increased at 2 percent and California and Texas kept their top spots with the highest populations. Pennsylvania, the country's sixth most-populous state, saw a growth of 9,300 residents with a total of 12,773,801 people and New Jersey saw an additional 31,600 residents, adding up to 8,899,339.
As USA TODAY noted, many people expected Florida to pass New York in numbers though they're still about 98,000 residents short. The Census Bureau plans to release more information after the new year.
