According to the latest data released by the US Census Bureau on March 26, Los Angeles County saw the largest population decline in the United States last year. Between July 2024 and July 2025, the population decreased by about 54,000 people, making it the top county in terms of population loss.
The data shows that from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2025, Los Angeles County has experienced a net loss of about 322,480 people, with the total population dropping from over 10 million to less than 9.7 million, indicating a continuous decline in population.
The exact reasons for the population loss have not yet been conclusively determined by officials. Some residents of Los Angeles County have told NTD that many people are choosing to leave due to the high cost of housing. They lamented that whether renting or buying, prices continue to soar, making it increasingly unattainable to own a home of their own.
Population decline is related to multiple factors. Data from the PeriStats foundation shows that the birth rate in Los Angeles County decreased from 58.8 per 1,000 people to 44.9 per 1,000 people between 2013 and 2023. According to the California Department of Finance, from 2021 to 2022, the natural population increase (births minus deaths) in the county was only about 20,000 people, indicating that the population structure is rapidly approaching a point where deaths outnumber births. Experts point out that the high cost of living is one of the significant factors affecting the willingness to have children.
Additionally, the Census Bureau has indicated that some of the largest counties in the US are experiencing negative domestic net migration, with more people leaving than moving in. While some areas still maintain a “births outnumber deaths” scenario, overall growth has significantly slowed, and negative growth is even occurring. The widespread adoption of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the outflow of population from high-cost cities.
For Los Angeles, the reduction in international immigration has also weakened the capacity for population replenishment. According to Business Insider, from 2024 to 2025, up to 90% of counties in the US experienced a decrease in net international migration, leading to growth stagnation or even negative growth in major cities that relied on immigration for population growth.
Looking at the situation in California, several populous counties have also experienced population losses since April 2020. Orange County, with a population of about 3.15 million in 2025, saw a decrease of 37,772 people, San Diego County (around 3.28 million) decreased by 16,400 people, and Ventura County (around 830,000) lost 13,507 people. These three counties in Southern California, along with Los Angeles County, all made it to the top 10 list of counties with the largest population decline last year. New York and Florida each had two counties on the list, while Tennessee and New Mexico each had one county.
In contrast, areas that continue to attract population are mainly in the southern and southwestern states of the US. Among the top 10 counties in the US with the largest population increase last year, Texas claimed 5 spots, with Harris County, ranking first with a population of about 5.045 million, adding 48,695 people last year and growing by nearly 315,000 people since 2020.
Furthermore, Arizona and North Carolina each had two counties, along with Washington’s King County, entering the top 10 list of counties with the largest net population inflow last year. Overall, the US population continues to shift from high-cost coastal cities to areas with lower cost of living.