Rural America grew by 76,000 people last year
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Counties outside the nation's metropolitan areas gained 76,234 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Deaths outnumbered births in those counties by 94,885, so the entire gain came from people moving in. Net migration from other parts of the country added 119,205 people, and immigration from abroad added 52,770.
The growth slowed from the year before. In 2023-24, the same counties gained 167,847 people, with 128,781 from international migration. That figure fell by more than half in 2024-25, in line with the national drop in immigration. Of the 1,958 nonmetropolitan counties, 964 grew.
Nonmetropolitan counties are those outside any metro area. They include small cities that anchor micropolitan areas, like Norfolk, Nebraska, and Williston, North Dakota, along with fully rural counties.
| Year ending July 1 | Population change | Births minus deaths | International migration | Domestic migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +167,847 | −92,080 | +128,781 | +131,804 |
| 2025 | +76,234 | −94,885 | +52,770 | +119,205 |
In North Dakota, the state's 45 nonmetropolitan counties added 1,377 people in 2024-25, with gains from births, immigration, and domestic moves. The oil counties of the Bakken led. Williams County, home to Williston, grew by 1,012 people, and McKenzie County by 394, a 2.7 percent increase, the fastest of the state's nonmetropolitan counties. Stark County, home to Dickinson, added 319. Nineteen of the 45 counties grew. Together they still have about 2,600 fewer residents than in the April 2020 census.
Nebraska's 82 nonmetropolitan counties lost 201 people in 2024-25. Immigration added 1,450, but 1,665 more people moved to other parts of the country than arrived, and births barely outpaced deaths. Only 31 of the 82 grew, down from 42 the year before. Their combined population is almost exactly where it was in 2020, at 678,738.
The Nebraska counties that did grow were spread around the state. Madison County, home to Norfolk, added 313 people, including 164 from abroad. Thurston County, which includes the Omaha and Winnebago reservations, added 143, and York County 128. Kimball County, in the Panhandle, grew 2.8 percent, the fastest rate among Nebraska's nonmetropolitan counties, adding 93 people to reach 3,391.
Across the country, domestic migration was the largest source of rural growth. For the counties losing the most people, see Los Angeles County's population decline.
Sources
Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 county population estimates and components of change, for years ending July 1. Nonmetropolitan counties are those not part of a metropolitan statistical area under the current federal delineation, including counties in micropolitan areas. Components do not sum exactly to the total change because of a small statistical residual.
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Is rural America growing?
Yes, slightly. Counties outside metro areas gained 76,234 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, Census Bureau estimates show. All of the growth came from migration, since deaths outnumbered births in those counties by 94,885.
Are rural North Dakota counties growing?
North Dakota's 45 nonmetropolitan counties added 1,377 people in 2024-25, led by the Bakken oil counties. Williams County grew by 1,012 and McKenzie County by 2.7 percent. Together they remain about 2,600 below their 2020 census total.
Is rural Nebraska losing population?
Nebraska's 82 nonmetropolitan counties lost 201 people in 2024-25, and only 31 grew. Immigration added 1,450, but more people moved out to other states than moved in. Their combined population is about the same as in 2020.
