
Oct 31, 2017 ● Kate Lopaze
Report: Here are the latest projections for nursing demand by state
The good news about a career in nursing right now is that demand is growing for registered nurses—and it's not expected to slow down anytime soon. In fact, rumors about looming nursing shortages are a huge concern for the healthcare industry, given that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the demand for registered nurses will grow by an eye-opening 19% by 2024. All of this means that if you’re thinking about a career as a nurse, now could be the best time to take that next step.
However, nursing careers aren’t growing at the same rate everywhere. Let’s look at how the demand and outlook for registered nurses are shaping up all over the country, broken down by region.
The Northeast
Includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. As a region, the Northeast has some of the most nurse-dense states in the country, likely due to the high concentration of the population and the number of major cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, both New York and Pennsylvania were in the top five states for registered nurse employment. Here’s how much the demand for registered nurses in northeastern states is expected to grow by 2024:- Connecticut: 29%
- Maine: 32%
- Massachusetts: 25%
- New Hampshire: 28%
- New Jersey: 28%
- New York: 14%
- Pennsylvania: 39%
- Rhode Island: 29%
- Vermont: 28%
The South
Includes the Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. In the South, the demand for nurses is concentrated most fully in cities and suburban areas, with more rural states featuring less nurse employment overall. In the region, Florida (with large population centers like Miami, Tampa, and Orlando) leads the way in nursing employment, with Georgia and North Carolina not far behind. Here’s how much the demand for registered nurses in southern states is expected to grow by 2024:- Alabama: 28%
- Arkansas: 10%
- Delaware: 24%
- Florida: 22%
- Georgia: 30%
- Kentucky: 25%
- Louisiana: 23%
- Maryland: 27%
- Mississippi: 17%
- North Carolina: 19%
- Oklahoma: 29%
- South Carolina: 26%
- Tennessee: 23%
- Texas: 33%
- Virginia: 23%
- Washington, D.C.: 21%
- West Virginia: 23%
The Midwest
Includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. With such a broad range of states and economies, it’s not surprising that the outlook for nurses varies across the Midwest region as well. Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio are currently the states with the highest registered nurse employment, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, demand is growing rapidly outside of those states, across the region. Here’s how much the demand for registered nurses in midwestern states is expected to grow by 2024:- Illinois: 13%
- Indiana: 27%
- Iowa: 24%
- Kansas: 25%
- Michigan: 19%
- Minnesota: 22%
- Missouri: 18%
- Nebraska: 12%
- North Dakota: 22%
- Ohio: 21%
- South Dakota: 24%
- Wisconsin: 24%
The West
Includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. California is the unquestionable leader in registered nurse employment in this region (and in fact, the country), with a current employment of more than 274,000 registered nurses. Yet it’s not the western state with the biggest expected boom in demand for registered nurses—that honor goes to Idaho. Here’s how much the demand for registered nurses in western states is expected to grow by 2024:- Alaska: 28%
- Arizona: 31%
- California: 22%
- Colorado: 37%
- Hawaii: 21%
- Idaho: 40%
- Montana: 39%
- Nevada: 17%
- New Mexico: 26%
- Oregon: 26%
- Washington: 22%
- Wyoming: 26%