A drop in immigration is slowing U.S. population growth, with cities seeing the biggest impacts as the South continued to lead the nation in gains, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday.
The nation’s population growth slowed between July 2024 and July 2025, from 1.1% in 2024 to 0.6% in 2025, driven largely by a decline in net international migration, with metro areas, home to most Americans, having noticeably weaker growth.
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Metro areas overall continued to grow, but at a slower pace than the previous year.
Large urban counties were hit the hardest as immigration waned, especially those along the Mexican border. Laredo, Texas, Yuma, Arizona, and El Centro, California, saw the steepest percentage-point declines in population growth rates.
Los Angeles experienced the greatest population decline. New York was also among the top 10, but it fell into fourth place.
Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg, Florida, ranked second
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