New estimates indicate reduced population gains across most regions, with border areas and hurricane-affected communities seeing the sharpest slowdowns.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Population growth across U.S. metropolitan areas slowed significantly last year, according to a report by the Associated Press, with new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau pointing to reduced international migration and regional disruptions as key factors behind the trend.
The data shows the average growth rate for metro areas fell from 1.1% in 2024 to 0.6% in 2025, with most counties and metro regions experiencing slower gains. Officials attributed the shift largely to a decline in immigration, following a previous year in which international arrivals had helped drive population recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The figures, covering the 12 months through July 2025, coincide with the early phase of President Donald Trump’s second term and the start of stricter immigration enforcement policies. With U.S. birth rates declining and the population aging, migration has become a central factor influencing whether communities expand or contract.
“With so little natural increase, migration determines whether an area grows or declines, particularly in the big metro cores that have continuous domestic out-migration and are dependent on immigration,” said Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire.
Border regions experienced some of the most pronounced changes. Three metro areas along the U.S.-Mexico border—Laredo, Texas; Yuma, Arizona; and El Centro, California—recorded steep drops in growth rates. Laredo’s growth slowed from 3.2% to 0.2%, while Yuma declined from 3.3% to 1.4%. El Centro shifted from a 1.2% increase to a 0.7% population decline.
All three areas had seen strong gains the previous year tied to increased immigration. “That pattern suggests a sharper rise-and-fall effect in border regions, where international migration plays a more central role in year-to-year population change,” said Helen You, interim director of the Texas Demographic Center.
Major urban counties that typically receive large numbers of international arrivals—including those encompassing Houston, Miami and Los Angeles—remained top destinations in total numbers but saw noticeable declines in incoming migrants. According to the Census Bureau, nine out of ten U.S. counties recorded lower levels of immigration in 2025 compared to the prior year.
In Florida, population losses were driven in part by natural disasters. Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused widespread damage along the Gulf Coast in late 2024, prompting residents to relocate. Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, lost nearly 12,000 residents, one of the largest declines nationwide. Taylor County, located in Florida’s Big Bend region, recorded the steepest drop in growth rate at negative 2.2%.
Migration shifts extended beyond Florida. In western North Carolina, the county that includes Asheville saw more than 2,000 residents leave following severe damage from the remnants of Hurricane Helene, which disrupted infrastructure and communications in mountain communities.
The New York metropolitan area, which had led the nation in population gains the previous year, dropped to 13th place in 2025 as immigration slowed. In contrast, metro areas in Texas and the Southeast rose to the top of population growth rankings. Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth led in total gains, followed by Atlanta, Phoenix and Charlotte.
Several mid-sized metro areas recorded the fastest growth rates, particularly in Florida and South Carolina. Ocala, Florida, led the nation with a 3.4% increase, followed by Myrtle Beach and Spartanburg in South Carolina, as well as Lakeland and Punta Gorda in Florida.
Suburban and exurban counties continued to attract domestic migrants, reflecting longer-term shifts that accelerated during the pandemic. Counties such as Collin and Montgomery in Texas, Pinal County in Arizona, and Pasco and Polk counties in Florida ranked among the top destinations for people relocating within the United States.
The Census Bureau attributed the continued expansion of these outer suburban areas to rising housing costs in urban centers and the persistence of remote work arrangements, allowing more workers to live farther from city cores.
Despite slower overall growth, some large metro areas maintained population increases due to natural factors. The New York metro area added more than 32,000 residents through births exceeding deaths, the highest natural increase in the country. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston also ranked high in natural population growth.
Conversely, several regions experienced significant natural population decline, where deaths outpaced births. Pittsburgh and multiple Florida metro areas with older populations, including Sarasota, Daytona Beach and Tampa, recorded the largest such decreases.
Demographers noted that regions with younger populations tend to sustain higher natural growth. “Decades of domestic and international in-migration have produced relatively young populations, with a large share of residents in childbearing ages, alongside comparatively smaller proportions of senior populations,” You said.
The latest data underscores the growing role of migration patterns, economic conditions and environmental factors in shaping population trends across the United States.
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