The U.S. Census Bureau announced on Mar. 26 that population growth slowed in most of the nation’s 3,143 counties and the District of Columbia between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, according to its Vintage 2025 population estimates.
This slowdown is significant because it marks a reversal or reduction in growth for nearly eight out of ten counties that had previously expanded between 2023 and 2024. Many counties already experiencing decline saw their losses accelerate during this period.
Among metropolitan statistical areas, slower growth was recorded in more than four out of five regions compared to the previous year. The largest declines occurred along the U.S.-Mexico border, with Laredo, Texas; Yuma, Arizona; and El Centro, California seeing notable drops in their annual growth rates.
A major factor behind these trends was a nationwide decrease in net international migration (NIM). Nine out of ten counties experienced lower levels of NIM compared to the prior year. The remaining counties did not see an increase either. Some of the country’s largest counties were especially affected due to their typical reliance on gains from international migration while facing domestic migration losses—more people moving out than moving in domestically—and natural increases from births over deaths could not offset these changes.
George M. Hayward, a Census Bureau demographer said: “The nation’s largest counties like those in the New York metro area are often international migration hubs, gaining large numbers of international migrants and losing people that move to other parts of the country via domestic migration… With fewer gains from international migration, these types of counties saw their population growth diminish or even turn into loss.”
Geographically, many fast-growing counties were located along the Southeast coast—particularly Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia—with nine out of ten fastest-growing large-population counties found in southern states. Growth rates declined sharply overall for metropolitan areas—from an average annual rate of 1.1% down to just over half a percent.
The number of U.S. counties experiencing more deaths than births remained stable at about two-thirds but was still below levels seen earlier this decade when three-quarters reported such decreases. Domestic migration continued redistributing populations away from major urban centers toward less populous areas; large urbanized counties lost residents through domestic moves while medium-sized and small ones posted modest gains.
Methodological improvements have been incorporated into recent net international migration estimates by using additional administrative data at local levels.
Looking ahead, detailed demographic breakdowns by age group and race are scheduled for release later this year as part of ongoing updates based on decennial census benchmarks.
