These U.S. counties experienced the largest population declines

Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read

Each year the Census Bureau releases population estimates, giving insight into which states and counties U.S. residents are migrating to and where they're leaving. The number of births, deaths and the rate of immigration into the U.S. also affects population growth and decline.

More U.S. counties experienced population gains than losses last year, but some major counties in New York and California experience population declines at fast rates.

“Domestic migration patterns are changing, and the impact on counties is especially evident,” Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Branch, said in a statement. “Areas which experienced high levels of domestic out-migration during the pandemic, such as in the Midwest and Northeast, are now seeing more counties with population growth. Meanwhile, county population growth is slowing down out West, such as in Arizona and Idaho.”

Which counties are losing the most residents?

Some of the most populous counties in the country also lost the most residents in 2023. Los Angeles County lost 56,420 residents last year, although that number is smaller than the previous year's population decline.

King County, the most populated county in New York state, lost over 28,000 residents last year, followed by neighboring New York counties, Queens and Bronx- losing 26,362; and 25,332 residents, respectively.

California population declines in 2023

Three counties that had some of the fastest population losses in the country were located in California. They included:

  • Lassen County, California (-3.9% population decline between 2022 and 2023)

  • Siskiyou County, California (-2% population decline between 2022 and 2023)

  • Del Norte County, California (-1.9% population decline between 2022 and 2023)

About 67% of counties in the Golden State experienced a population decline last year.

Last year, the California Community Poll found that 4 in 10 Californians were considering moving out of state. Many said it’s too expensive to live there. That's true for other Californians, too. A majority in the poll said they love living in the state, but increasing costs of living has been the main reason some have moved.

Graphics explainer: Which US county has the highest home prices?

Where is population growing the fastest in the U.S.?

Eight of the top 10 counties that led the nation by numeric change in 2023 were in Texas. They included:

  • Harris County, which includes Houston. It added 53,788 residents and was the largest-gaining county in the nation.

  • Collin County, Texas, northeast of Dallas (36,364).

  • Montgomery County, Texas, north of Houston (31,800).

The number of U.S. residents moving into counties in Texas is a major contributing factor to its population growth. International migration, birth rates and death rates also affect a state's population growth.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These U.S. counties experienced the largest population declines