40% of U.S. Counties Lost Population Last Year as Immigration Crackdown Intensified: Report

About 40% of U.S. counties lost population between July 2024 and July 2025, as a sharp decline in immigration slowed national growth and reversed gains in many regions, according to new Census Bureau data.

The U.S. population grew by 1.8 million over the period, reaching roughly 342 million, but that marked the slowest increase since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Census Bureau attributed the slowdown "largely" to a drop in net international migration, which fell by more than 50% compared with the previous year — the steepest decline since 2020.

"With so little natural increase, migration determines whether an area grows or declines," said Kenneth Johnson, a demographer at the University of New Hampshire, to CBS News. That dynamic was especially visible in large metro areas, which typically lose residents through domestic migration and rely on international arrivals to offset those losses.

Nine out of 10 counties saw lower levels of immigration in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to the Census Bureau. In major urban centers like New York, international inflows dropped sharply while more residents moved out, weakening overall growth. "The nation's largest counties... are often international migration hubs," said Bureau demographer George Hayward, noting that reduced inflows caused growth to "diminish or even turn into loss."

Border regions experienced some of the steepest slowdowns. Cities such as Laredo, Texas, and Yuma, Arizona, saw growth rates fall sharply after earlier increases tied to migrant arrivals. Helen You, interim director of the Texas Demographic Center, described the pattern as a "rise-and-fall effect" linked to shifts in migration.

Beyond demographics, economists warn of broader economic consequences. Reduced immigration is expected to lower consumer spending and slow GDP growth. "Americans should care about declining immigration because they will be hurt economically," said Zeke Hernandez, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, to The Financial Times. "We can't turn those contributions... on and off like a spigot."

Other factors also contributed to population losses, including natural disasters. Hurricanes along the Gulf Coast displaced thousands, accelerating declines in some counties.