Overall population growth in the U.S. slowed between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, though some metro areas along the Southeast coast bucked the trend.
According to a March 26 report from the Census Bureau, the 10 fastest-growing metro areas by percentage growth were:
- Ocala, Fla.: 3.4%
- Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, S.C.: 3.2%
- Spartanburg, S.C.: 2.8%
- Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.: 2.7%
- Punta Gorda, Fla.: 2.7%
- Huntsville, Ala.: 2.6%
- Wilmington, N.C.: 2.6%
- St. George, Utah: 2.5%
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.: 2.4%
- Raleigh-Cary, N.C.: 2.4%
On the whole, however, 310 of the 387 metro areas in the U.S. had slower growth between 2024 and 2025 than during the prior year. On average, growth slowed from 1.1% between 2023 and 2024 to 0.6% between 2024 and 2025.
The shifts were largely due to lower levels of net international migration, especially since net domestic migration losses waned and natural increase had no noticeable change, according to the report.
Some of the steepest slowdowns occurred in metro areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Laredo, Texas, saw growth during that same period fall from 3.2% to 0.2%, while Yuma, Ariz., declined from 3.3% to 1.4%. El Centro, Calif., shifted from 1.2% growth to a 0.7% decline.
At the county level, domestic migration patterns continued to shift from the largest counties to less populous ones, according to the report. In total, the 50 counties with 1 million or more people in 2025 had a net domestic migration loss of 637,634. By contrast, large counties (50,000-999,999 in population) had a combined net domestic migration gain of 533,766, and medium-sized counties (15,000-49,999) had a net domestic migration gain of 95,095.
Healthcare leaders in fast-growing Southeast markets may see increased demand for services, particularly in primary care, outpatient care and aging-related services. At the same time, continued migration away from large counties may require systems to rethink workforce distribution and expansion strategies.
In Florida, systems such as AdventHealth and HCA Healthcare are expanding ER capacity to keep pace. AdventHealth, for example, broke ground in January on a new ER in Auburndale, Fla., within the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area. AdventHealth Polk Market President and CEO Tim Clark said the region’s rapid growth is increasing the need for emergency access.
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