Population Growth Slowed in Majority of the U.S. Counties

A recently released report from the U.S. Census Bureau says America’s population growth slowed widely between 2024 and 2025, with most counties and metro areas experiencing reduced or reversing growth. Declines were driven largely by reduced international migration. Many populous counties, already losing domestic residents, saw slower gains or population losses despite natural increases from births exceeding deaths.

Some key points:

• Population growth slowed in a majority of the nation’s 3,143 counties and D.C. between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025.
• Among the 2,066 counties that grew between 2023 and 2024, nearly 8 in 10 saw their growth slow or reverse direction in 2025. In many cases, counties already in decline saw losses accelerate.
• 310 of the 387 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) had slower growth between 2024 & 2025 than during the prior year.

Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.