Nantucket, the smallest county in Massachusetts, was the state’s fastest growing last year, according to new data from the US Census Bureau.
The island county saw its population jump 2.7 percent, gaining 288 residents between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014. One hundred more babies were born in the county than people died that year, and a reported 180 people migrated there from both domestic and international locales.
All but three of Massachusetts’ 14 counties had population growth in the last year, according to the US Census.
When it came to the number of new residents, Middlesex County, which is state’s largest county, had the highest total. Middlesex County welcomed 12,184 residents last year. Of them, about half were attributed to the difference between number of births (17,800) and the number of deaths (11,157).
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Beyond Middlesex County, the greatest increases in the number of new residents were seen in Suffolk County and Essex County, which grew by 7,161 and 4,998 people, respectively.
Despite the growth on the eastern side of the state, three Western Massachusetts counties had population declines last year. In Hampshire County, the population dropped by 31 residents, in Franklin County, by 293, and in Berkshire County, 774.
The statewide population grew 36,534 people, a half of a percent jump, between 2013 and 2014, according to the US Census. The state’s growth has slowed down slightly. In previous years, Massachusetts’ year-to-year population growth was 0.7 to 0.8 percent.
| County | Population change | Percent change | Number of births | Number of deaths | Net migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County | 78 | 0.04% | 1,572 | 2,817 | 1,313 |
| Berkshire County | -774 | -0.60% | 1,108 | 1,426 | -344 |
| Bristol County | 2,027 | 0.37% | 5,667 | 5,099 | 1,754 |
| Dukes County | 166 | 0.97% | 159 | 129 | 140 |
| Essex County | 4,998 | 0.65% | 8,573 | 6,413 | 3,285 |
| Franklin County | -293 | -0.41% | 619 | 657 | -204 |
| Hampden County | 747 | 0.16% | 5,443 | 4,293 | -220 |
| Hampshire County | -31 | -0.02% | 1,111 | 1,217 | 90 |
| Middlesex County | 12,184 | 0.78% | 17,880 | 11,157 | 5,904 |
| Nantucket County | 288 | 2.73% | 147 | 47 | 180 |
Catherine Cloutier can be reached at catherine.cloutier@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @cmcloutier.