Los Angeles County lost more people than any U.S. county as immigration fell by two-thirds
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Los Angeles County lost 53,934 residents between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, the largest decline of any county in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released in March. Its population fell to 9,694,934. The county with the next-largest loss, Pinellas County, Florida, lost 11,834.
The main change from the year before was immigration. Net international migration to Los Angeles County fell from 92,259 people in 2023-24 to 29,325 in 2024-25, a drop of about two-thirds. In 2023-24 those arrivals had been enough to produce a small gain of 16,300 residents. In 2024-25, the county shrank.
"The nation's largest counties like those in the New York metro area are often international migration hubs, gaining large numbers of international migrants and losing people that move to other parts of the country via domestic migration," said George M. Hayward, a Census Bureau demographer. "With fewer gains from international migration, these types of counties saw their population growth diminish or even turn into loss."
| Year ending July 1 | Population change | Births minus deaths | International migration | Domestic migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | −186,032 | +5,620 | +12,108 | −195,168 |
| 2022 | −61,954 | +21,658 | +62,305 | −146,583 |
| 2023 | −15,956 | +20,827 | +83,416 | −121,102 |
| 2024 | +16,300 | +23,110 | +92,259 | −99,629 |
| 2025 | −53,934 | +22,581 | +29,325 | −105,471 |
Domestic migration, people moving between Los Angeles County and the rest of the country, has been negative every year. In 2024-25, about 105,471 more people moved out to other parts of the U.S. than moved in, the most of any county. Miami-Dade County was next at 72,254. Since the 2020 census, Los Angeles County's net domestic outflow totals about 693,000 people.
Births still outnumber deaths. The county recorded 91,048 births and 68,467 deaths in 2024-25, for a natural increase of 22,581. Births were down from 94,882 in 2020-21.
Los Angeles County's loss was larger than that of California as a whole, which shrank by 9,465 people over the same year. Some nearby counties grew: Riverside County added 15,804 residents, including a net gain of 7,758 from domestic migration.
The California Department of Finance, which publishes its own estimates for January 1 of each year, put the county's loss in 2025 at 64,000. It attributed that to "a combined effect of the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, normal flow to the Inland Empire, and deportations." The department counted 11,160 housing units lost in those two fires. Statewide, it found that net legal international migration fell from 248,400 in 2024 to 126,400 in 2025.
| Rank | County | Change, 2024-25 | Population, 2025 | Domestic migration | International migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles County, CA | −53,934 | 9,694,934 | −105,471 | +29,325 |
| 2 | Pinellas County, FL | −11,834 | 948,563 | −9,203 | +2,636 |
| 3 | Miami-Dade County, FL | −10,115 | 2,802,029 | −72,254 | +54,204 |
| 4 | Queens County, NY | −8,852 | 2,358,182 | −38,449 | +20,672 |
| 5 | Orange County, CA | −8,520 | 3,149,507 | −25,357 | +9,161 |
| 6 | San Diego County, CA | −5,294 | 3,282,248 | −23,876 | +6,132 |
| 7 | Shelby County, TN | −5,212 | 910,226 | −11,670 | +3,774 |
| 8 | Kings County, NY | −4,694 | 2,653,963 | −38,847 | +17,564 |
| 9 | Dallas County, TX | −2,616 | 2,661,397 | −46,226 | +24,912 |
| 10 | Ventura County, CA | −2,580 | 830,851 | −4,991 | +604 |
Four of the 10 biggest losers are in California. Since the April 2020 census base of 10,017,414, Los Angeles County has lost about 322,000 people, or 3.2 percent. Its population history since 1990 is in how California's population has changed.
Sources
County figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 county population estimates and components of change, for years ending July 1, and the bureau's March 26, 2026, release. Domestic and international migration are net figures, and the components do not sum exactly to the total change because of a small residual. The 2021 figures cover July 2020 to July 2021; the 693,000 domestic total also includes April to July 2020. State figures for January 1 are from the California Department of Finance E-1 release of May 1, 2026.
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Why is Los Angeles County losing population?
More people move from Los Angeles County to other parts of the U.S. than move in, a net loss of 105,471 in 2024-25. International migration, which used to offset that, fell from 92,259 to 29,325, according to Census Bureau estimates.
How many people did Los Angeles County lose in 2025?
The Census Bureau estimates Los Angeles County lost 53,934 residents between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, falling to 9,694,934. The California Department of Finance, using January dates, put the 2025 loss at 64,000.
Which U.S. counties lost the most people in 2025?
Los Angeles County lost the most, 53,934, followed by Pinellas County, Florida, at 11,834, Miami-Dade County at 10,115, and Queens County, New York, at 8,852, according to the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates.
