ORLANDO, Fla. — The biggest source of new residents to Florida and Texas, the two U.S. states with the largest number of new residents last year, was other countries.
According to migration data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau, a little over 45% of the almost 634,000 residents in Florida who said that they had lived in a different state or abroad the previous year came from a foreign country.
With 23 million residents, Florida had more people who said they had lived in a different place the previous year than any other state, though Texas wasn’t far behind. Of the almost 612,000 Texas residents living elsewhere the previous year, 43% were from another country. Texas has 30.5 million residents.
The migration figures don't show which countries the new residents arrived from.
Priscila Coronado moved to Miami from Guatemala last year, looking for a better future.
“I am happy. My dream is to study, learn English, and graduate with a nursing degree,” Coronado said. “There is no crime here, and that is an achievement."
Among U.S. states, New York was the top producer of new Floridians, and more recently minted Texans had lived in California the year before than any other state.
But, Florida and Texas didn't just gain residents; some also moved out. Georgia gained the most former Floridians last year, and California had the most ex-Texans.
"My kids keep asking, 'Where are we going to live?'"
Over 500 people were rescued during Hurricane Milton at the Standard Apartments in Clearwater. Now, survivors with no place to go have set up camp in the grass in the Best Buy parking lot across the street.
