US Edition
Growth rate slowed in US metro areas in 2025, with steepest drops along the southern border
U.S. metro population growth slowed to 0.6% in 2025 from 1.1% in 2024, driven by reduced immigration and hurricane-related out-migration on the Florida Gulf Coast.
- On Thursday, the U.S. Census Bureau released data showing U.S. metro growth fell from 1.1% in 2024 to 0.6% in 2025, citing a slowdown in international migration during the initial months of President Donald Trump's second term.
- Steepest growth declines occurred in U.S.-Mexico border communities where international migration plays a central role. Laredo, Texas, dropped from 3.2% to 0.2%; Yuma, Arizona, fell from 3.3% to 1.4%; and El Centro, California, declined to-0.7%.
- Following damage from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton in fall 2024, counties along Florida's Gulf Coast lost residents. Taylor County, a tiny community in Big Bend, experienced the steepest growth rate decline among U.S. counties at-2.2%.
- Migration determines whether communities grow or decline amid aging populations and declining birth rates, said Kenneth Johnson, senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire. Nine out of 10 U.S. counties reported lower immigration levels in 2025 compared to 2024.
- Despite domestic out-migration, the New York metro area gained more than 32,000 residents through births, leading the nation in natural increase. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metros also maintained their status as top destinations for natural population gains.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Growth rates in U.S. metropolitan areas fell most sharply last year in communities along the Mexican border due to a decline in the number of immigrants, while…
Trump Crackdown Has Drastically Reduced Immigrant Numbers in Border Towns.
PULSE POINTSWHAT HAPPENED: U.S. population growth slowed significantly in 2025, with steep declines in metro areas along the southern border as immigration fell.WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Census Bureau, President Donald Trump, and demographers, including Helen You and Kenneth Johnson.WHEN & WHERE: Data covers the one-year period ending July 2025, with key impacts in U.S. metro areas, including Laredo, Texas; Yuma, Arizona; and El Centro, Califor…
Census shows population growth slowing in U.S. metro areas. Here's where the steepest declines are.
Population estimates released by U.S. Census Bureau show growth rates slowed sharply in metro areas in 2025, as immigration dropped and hurricanes pushed people out of some Gulf Coast counties.
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