LA County Posts Largest US Population Decline in 2025

Los Angeles County, the nation's most populous region, experienced the largest single-year population decline in the United States, losing approximately 54,000 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, according to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau in March 2026.

The county's population, which exceeded 10 million in the 2020 census, fell below 9.7 million by mid-2025, marking a net loss of more than 322,000 people over the past five years. This exodus outpaced declines in other major areas, with demographers noting that the rate of departures has not been matched by incoming residents, straining the local economy and tax revenues. Neighboring Riverside and San Bernardino counties, by contrast, added a combined 21,000 residents during the same period, while the Las Vegas metropolitan area gained over 20,000.

California as a whole mirrored this trend, shedding more than 9,000 residents in 2025, with 30 of its 58 counties recording losses. The state's population has declined annually since 2000, totaling nearly 10 million departures since 2010. Factors contributing to the outflow include a sharp housing affordability crisis, where the average single-family home costs...