US Metro Growth Slows, Migration Dips

0:00It's March 26th. This is El Paso News today. AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. US population growth in metro areas slowed sharply last year, dropping from 1.1% in 2024 to 0.6% in 2025, according to news Census Bureau estimates. The main culprit was a big dip in international migration, which had fueled urban rebounds after the pandemic. Counties and metros across the country, mostly saw smaller gains or outright losses. Border communities along the US-Mexico line took the hardest hit, with places like Laredo in Texas, Yuma in Arizona, and El Centro in California. Seeing growth rates plummet from over 3% to near zero or even negative. Meanwhile, Florida's Gulf Coast counties lost thousands after back-to-back hurricanes. Haleen and Milton caused massive damage and drove residents. Away, including big drops in Pinellas and Taylor counties.

1:00These shifts highlight how reliant many areas are, on migration, amid falling birth rates, and an aging population. Experts note that without newcomers, domestic outflows often tip the balance toward decline, especially in big cities. Hurricane effects rippled beyond Florida, with mountain counties near Asheville, North Carolina, also losing over 2,000 people. On the brighter side, Houston and Dallas Fort Worth, led metro growth, followed by Atlanta, Phoenix, and Charlotte. Far out suburbs around those cities boomed, thanks to remote work and cheaper housing farther from urban cores. New York still gained over 32,000 through more bursts than deaths, topping natural increase nationwide. As America grapples with these trends early in the new administration's immigration policies, migration patterns will keep shaping where communities. Thrive or shrink in the years ahead.