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 in growth affects how communities plan for resources and services. Understanding these changes is important for local governments and organizations as they respond to shifting demographics.
Of the counties that experienced growth between 2023 and 2024, nearly eight out of ten saw their pace slow or even reverse by mid-2025. Many counties already experiencing decline saw losses accelerate. Metropolitan areas also followed this trend: out of the nation’s metro areas, over three hundred reported slower growth compared to the previous year. The steepest drops were seen along the U.S.-Mexico border—Laredo, Texas; Yuma, Arizona; and El Centro, California—all experienced significant decreases in their rates of population increase.
A major factor behind these shifts was a nationwide decline in net international migration (NIM). Nine out of ten U.S. counties had lower levels of international migration compared to the previous year; those not seeing a drop did not see an increase either. Large urban counties were especially affected due to typically having more births than deaths but losing residents through domestic migration while relying on gains from international migrants.
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.”
Data show that some southern states continued growing fastest overall at county level—particularly Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia—with many fast-growing counties located on metro area outskirts.
In summary tables released with this data set are details about county size changes as well as components driving change such as natural increase or decrease (births minus deaths), net domestic migration (movement within the country), and NIM (international movement). The Census Bureau will release further demographic breakdowns by age group and race later this year.
