Los Angeles lost 62,000 people last year, the most of any metro area
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The Los Angeles metro area lost 62,454 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, the largest drop of any U.S. metro area, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It still has 12.8 million people, second only to New York, but it has shrunk by about 360,000 since 2020.
Los Angeles was one of 12 metro areas with at least 500,000 people that got smaller over the year. Miami lost 8,909, San Diego 5,294, Memphis 4,217, and Pittsburgh 3,160. Across all 387 metro areas, 83 lost population.
| Rank | Metro area | Population, 2025 | Change, 2024 to 2025 | Net domestic migration | Net international migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 12,844,441 | −62,454 | −130,828 | +38,486 |
| 2 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 6,391,072 | −8,909 | −113,724 | +93,450 |
| 3 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 3,282,248 | −5,294 | −23,876 | +6,132 |
| 4 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 1,341,412 | −4,217 | −10,302 | +3,959 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | 2,421,992 | −3,160 | +1,659 | +2,894 |
| 6 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 830,851 | −2,580 | −4,991 | +604 |
| 7 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 970,849 | −2,535 | −8,906 | +5,776 |
| 8 | El Paso, TX | 881,291 | −2,053 | −6,642 | +404 |
| 9 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 1,155,653 | −1,510 | −2,345 | +2,625 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | 988,703 | −1,439 | −6,682 | +3,431 |
| 11 | Syracuse, NY | 652,273 | −1,275 | −2,451 | +1,556 |
| 12 | Toledo, OH | 599,376 | −26 | −693 | +755 |
Most of these metros lost people to other parts of the country faster than they gained them from abroad. Los Angeles had 130,828 more people move out to other U.S. places than move in, against a gain of 38,486 from international migration and 30,302 more births than deaths. Miami gained 93,450 people from abroad, more than any metro on the list, but lost 113,724 to domestic moves.
Pittsburgh is the exception. More people moved there from elsewhere in the country than left, a net gain of 1,659, but deaths outnumbered births by 7,796. Buffalo, Syracuse, and Toledo also had more deaths than births.
Twelve metros with at least 1 million people are smaller now than in April 2020. Los Angeles lost 2.7 percent and San Francisco 2.6 percent. Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Cleveland, and Rochester, New York, each lost between 0.9 and 1.4 percent, and Chicago, San Jose, San Diego, St. Louis, Memphis, and Detroit are slightly smaller too.
The losses stand out because metro areas overall kept growing, mostly from immigration. Together, the 387 metros gained about 1.21 million people from abroad in the year. They lost a net 119,205 people to smaller towns and rural counties through moves within the country.
The biggest gainers were elsewhere. Our report on Houston overtaking Dallas covers the fastest-growing metros, and the largest metro areas in the U.S. ranks them all by size.
Sources
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area population estimates and components of change. Changes cover July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, except where noted as since the April 1, 2020, estimates base. Metro areas are metropolitan statistical areas as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. The table includes every metro of 500,000 or more that lost population.
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Which metro area lost the most people in 2025?
The Los Angeles metro area lost 62,454 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, the most of any U.S. metro, according to Census Bureau estimates. Miami lost 8,909 and San Diego 5,294.
Why is Los Angeles losing population?
In the year ending July 1, 2025, 130,828 more people moved from the Los Angeles metro to other U.S. places than moved in. Gains of 38,486 from abroad and 30,302 from births over deaths did not make up the difference.
How many metro areas are smaller than in 2020?
Twelve metro areas with at least 1 million people had fewer residents in 2025 than in April 2020, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo. Across all 387 metros, 95 have lost population since 2020.
