The state's growth rate of 2% was the second highest in the country, behind the District of Columbia. The increase in population was due to international migration and population increases in the South.

TALLAHASSEE — Growing faster than any other state, Florida topped 23.3 million people this year, according to estimated population data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Census Bureau estimated that Florida had 23,372,215 people as of July 1, up from 22,904,868 a year earlier. Florida’s increase of 467,347 people was second only to Texas, which gained 562,941. Also,