No, West Virginia isn’t the only state losing population

After Virginia saw sweeping Democratic victories in November’s elections, West Virginia state Sen. Sen. Chris Rose, a Republican, welcomed his neighboring state’s conservatives to move to his state, among the nation’s most solidly red. 

Another West Virginia legislator, Democratic Del. Kayla Young, responded to Rose on Nov. 5.

"Wild to see the crashout of the GOP when their ideas are soundly rejected across the country," Young wrote. "But come to WV, the only state losing population, where next session the focus will probably be forcing stupid AI memes to be coal-fired power generated too."

The part of Young’s post that caught our eye was the notion that West Virginia is "the only state losing population." That’s inaccurate.

Running the numbers

There are two ways to measure state population change. One is to compare the most recent population estimate, in this case for 2024, with the last full census, in 2020. The other is to compare the two most recent population estimates, which in this case would be from 2023 and 2024.

West Virginia’s population fell by both measures. But it was not the only state with that outcome.

Comparing the 2024 population estimate with the 2020 census, West Virginia saw the largest percentage decline in population among all 50 states — just over 1.2%.

West Virginia was joined in population loss during that time period by six other states: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi and New York.

The list of states losing population between the 2023 and 2024 estimates is smaller — only three. West Virginia is again on the list, though by this measurement its percentage loss was slightly smaller than Vermont’s. Mississippi also lost population during this period.

When PolitiFact West Virginia reached out to Young, she acknowledged she should have clarified her point.

"I realize other states have lost population per census assumptions and numbers post the 2020 Census," she said, adding that West Virginia did have the sharpest decline of all 50 states after the 2020 census.

West Virginia holds one other dubious population distinction. In 2021, when then-Gov. (now Sen.) Jim Justice said West Virginia "is the only state to decline in population over the last 70 years," we rated that True.

West Virginia had about 2 million residents in the 1950 Census but only 1.79 million in the 2020 census and 1.77 million in the 2024 population estimate. 

We checked the updated numbers for this article and confirmed West Virginia remains the only state to decline in population since 1950.

Our ruling

Young said West Virginia is "the only state losing population."

Between the 2020 census and the 2024 population estimate, and between the 2023 and 2024 population estimates, West Virginia lost residents. But it was not the only state to do so.

Six other states have lost population since the 2020 census and two other states have declined since the 2023 population estimate.

We rate the statement False.