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 trend is significant as it highlights changing migration patterns and demographic shifts across the country. Slower growth or declines were seen especially in some of the nation’s largest counties, with many experiencing reduced gains from international migration.
Among the more than two thousand counties that grew between mid-2023 and mid-2024, nearly eight out of ten saw their growth slow or reverse direction by mid-2025. In areas already facing decline, losses accelerated further. The majority of metropolitan statistical areas also experienced slower growth during this period compared to previous years. The steepest drops in population growth rates were reported along the U.S.-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas; Yuma, Arizona; and El Centro, California.
These changes are largely attributed to lower levels of net international migration (NIM), which declined nationwide for nine out of ten U.S. counties during this period. Counties with high populations—such as those around New York—were particularly affected due to their usual reliance on international migration for population gains alongside natural increase (more births than deaths) but continued domestic out-migration.
“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,” explained George M. Hayward, a Census Bureau demographer. “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 found along the Southeast coast—including Florida and neighboring states—and on metro area edges in Texas. Most top-growing large-population counties were located in southern states.
Looking ahead, additional demographic details by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin will be released by the Census Bureau later this year for various geographic levels including Puerto Rico municipios.
