We are just a few months away from the beginning of the 2020 census so now is the perfect time to look back at the previous census and see how Michigan did between 2000 and 2010.  Wait...  Michigan was the ONLY STATE that LOST POPULATION?

Huh?  How is that even possible?

In 2000, Michigan's population was 9,938,444, which made it the 8th most populous state in the nation.  But, in 2010, Michigan's population dropped to 9,883,640, making it the only state in the country to have lost population.  Despite the -0.6% change in the population, Michigan still ended the decade as the 8th most populous state.

If these trends continued from 2010-2020, Michigan would probably drop to 10th in population and Georgia and North Carolina would take 8th and 9th places on the list.

SPOILER ALERT: According to non-census surveys, Michigan's population did grow, but not fast enough to keep Georgia and North Carolina from overtaking it on the list of states with the most population.

The 2020 census will deliver it's findings to the President at the end of next year.  If you are interested in helping with the census, you can find out how at 2020census.gov.