America's population is growing at its slowest pace since the pandemic — and in some of its largest metro areas, it's actually shrinking. New Census Bureau estimates show that between July 2024 and June 2025, growth slowed or reversed in more than half of U.S. counties and the District of Columbia, reflecting a nationwide pattern of demographic cooling.
The overall U.S. population grew just 0.5% during that period, the weakest rate since Covid-19 halted migration and fueled an unexpected wave of deaths.
Out of the country's 3,143 counties and D.C., more than 2,000 registered some level of growth in the two-year span between 2023 and 2025 — yet almost 80% of those saw that growth lose steam or shift into decline. Meanwhile, counties already shrinking tended to shrink faster, suggesting that the post-pandemic population rebound has all but dissipated.
The country's most populous centers bore the brunt of the decline. Los Angeles County led all others, losing nearly 54,000 residents, a 0.6% drop. Florida's Pinellas County and Miami-Dade County also saw sizeable losses, while New York's Queens and Kings Counties and California's Orange, Ventura and San Diego Counties joined the ranks of the declines.
Even traditionally dynamic metro cores such as Dallas County, Texas and Shelby County, Tennessee, posted small but notable dips. This list reads like a census of once-booming urban magnets now tapering off.
The pattern flips when looking at where growth is concentrated: the Sun Belt and some parts of Texas. Harris County, home to Houston, led the nation with a gain of nearly 49,000 residents.
Neighboring counties such as Collin, Montgomery, Fort Bend and Williamson grew rapidly as well — a sign that migration within the state and from pricier metros elsewhere continues to fuel suburban expansion.
Beyond Texas, Maricopa and Pinal Counties in Arizona, King County (Seattle) and Wake and Mecklenburg Counties in North Carolina also posted strong increases, showing that the nation's growth is shifting decisively toward the South and West.
Measured by percentage gains, the pattern becomes even clearer. Smaller and mid-sized metros such as Ocala, Florida; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Huntsville, Alabama, are expanding at rates above 2.5%, far outpacing coastal giants that once defined population growth. These fast-growing areas often pair lower costs with expanding job markets, a formula attracting younger families and retirees alike.
Immigration played a decisive role in the recent slowdown. According to Census Bureau demographer George M. Hayward, nine out of 10 U.S. counties recorded lower net international migration rates than the previous year, a trend likely influenced by immigration restrictions under the Trump administration.
The counties that didn't lose ground on migration didn't gain population either.
"With fewer gains from international migration," Hayward said, "these types of counties saw their population growth diminish or even turn into loss."
Taken together, the data reflects a country in mid-shift — from bustling, globally oriented cities losing population to emerging regions gaining momentum through domestic movement. What once looked like a temporary pandemic-era adjustment now appears to be a lasting realignment in where Americans live and why.
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