OAN Staff Addie Davis
5:32 PM – Monday, March 30, 2026
Los Angeles County experienced the highest overall population decline in the country, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
In the bureau’s Thursday press release, L.A. County was shown to have a population decrease of nearly 54,000 from July 2024 to July 2025. The next highest decrease was Pinellas County in Florida with nearly a 12,000 decrease. Although Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous, ranks highest in overall population decline, it is far from the top in terms of percentage decrease.
According to U.S. Census data, the neighboring Riverside and San Bernardino counties, as well as the Las Vegas area, saw population increases, per KTLA 5. This could explain some of the decrease of L.A. residents.
L.A. County is not the only California area experiencing a decrease. San Diego County also saw a decrease of over 5,300, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. The outlet noted that San Diego is seeing weakened birth rates, domestic migration and international immigration, with experts saying this last factor has been offsetting the decline.
“All these forces are largely invisible to the public because the population over time has been pretty stable,” said demographer and professor emeritus at the University of Southern California Dowell Meyers. “But beneath the surface, your population has been propped up by immigration for years, and if you pull out the prop, watch what happens. You’ll have problems finding workers for anything – restaurants, daycare, finding a gardener, hospital workers.”
In recent years, California has faced significant population shifts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Golden State experienced its first population decline since gaining statehood in 1850, losing a congressional seat, according to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). The group cited fewer births, higher death rates, and reduced international migration as key factors. Since the 2020 census, Los Angeles County has recorded the largest population loss. According to KTLA 5, the county had more than 10 million residents in 2020 but is now estimated to have fewer than 9.7 million as of 2025.
“If recent trends continue, California could lose as many as 4 of its 52 seats in the 2030 congressional apportionment,” PPIC claimed.
It also noted that more Republicans than Democrats are leaving the state, which leads to a leftward political shift.
In terms of both overall and percentage of population growth in metro and micro areas across the nation, California counties don’t make any of the top 10 lists, per the census data.
According to a January press release by U-Haul, the largest self-moving company in the U.S., California saw the highest number of people moving from the state, though it notes the rankings may not directly correlate to population growths.
“While California’s exodus of do-it-yourself movers was greater than any other state, it saw a smaller net loss in 2025 than in 2024,” the release said.
California remains the most populous state and has seen better growth rates since the sharp decline during the pandemic, but it is lagging behind when it comes to other states.
There is some discrepancy between the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Finance on population statistics in the state.
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