The Top 3 Most Populous States in the U.S.
The top three most populous states in the U.S. are California, Texas, and Florida. Previously New York held the third spot, however the Census Bureau reported at the end of 2014 that Florida had officially surpassed the Empire State in its number of residents, coming in at nearly 20 million (NY 19.7 million.) California has 38.8 million residents, Texas 27 million. Seems the USA Today is right- all those snowbirds are starting to stay.
*Snowbirds are what we call northerners who head south to warmer places during the winter months. So many New Yorkers now retire to Miami-Dade County, it's become known as the sixth borough.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/23/census-florida-new-york-population/20812473/