Immigration into biggest US counties tripled last year from pandemic lows

After some of the most populous US counties experienced sharp population declines during the pandemic, the trend slowed last year due in large part to a rebound in international immigration.

The nation’s 20 largest counties gained more than 300,000 new residents between July 2021 and July 2022 through international migration, more than triple the gain in the previous 12 months, according to census data released Thursday.

Still, many of those counties continued to shrink overall, albeit at a slower pace, as low national birth rates and internal migration to the suburbs and beyond dragged the total population down.

Los Angeles County had the largest population decline in 2022, with a decline of 90,704 overall, primarily due to a net loss of 142,953 people to other parts of the US.

Maricopa County, Arizona, where Phoenix is ​​located, remained the fastest growing county in the nation, adding 56,831 residents in 2022, an increase of 1.3 percent, driven primarily by internal migration.

After some of the most populous US counties experienced sharp population declines during the pandemic, the trend slowed last year due in large part to a rebound in international immigration.

Los Angeles County (above) had the largest population decline in 2022, with a decline of 90,704 overall, primarily due to a net loss of 142,953 people to other parts of the US.

Los Angeles County (above) had the largest population decline in 2022, with a decline of 90,704 overall, primarily due to a net loss of 142,953 people to other parts of the US.

Population change in counties is driven by three factors: births, deaths, and net migration, whether international or domestic, as people move within the US.

Of the 10 most populous counties in the country, four continued to experience population declines last year: Los Angeles, Cook County, Illinois (Chicago), Orange County, California (Anaheim), and Kings County, New York ( Brooklyn).

The aggregate change in the population of the top 10 counties last year was a decrease of just over 75,000 people.

However, the borough that encompasses Manhattan bucked the trend, adding more than 17,000 residents last year after losing nearly 111,000 people in 2021.

Growth in Manhattan was driven by international migration and, to a lesser extent, internal migration, with births exceeding deaths.

“Some of the urban counties in New York and San Francisco that experienced significant inward migration and population declines in 2021 saw population growth in 2022,” said Dr. Christine Hartley, deputy chief of the estimates and projections division. in the population division of the Census Bureau.

Despite the most recent advances, New York Borough of Manhattan still had a population deficit of nearly 98,000 residents last July, compared to April 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And three counties spanning the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens saw one of the largest population declines in the US last year, with losses ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 residents.

Net international migration added more than a million people to the US population last year, a big rebound from record lows seen during the pandemic.

Net international migration added more than a million people to the US population last year, a big rebound from record lows seen during the pandemic.

The borough that encompasses Manhattan added more than 17,000 residents last year, a setback after losing nearly 111,000 people in 2021.

The borough that encompasses Manhattan added more than 17,000 residents last year, a setback after losing nearly 111,000 people in 2021.

The reversal of population losses was notable in King County, Washington, home to Seattle; as well as in large Sunbelt counties such as Dallas County, Texas; and two South Florida counties, Miami-Dade and Broward.

All those places had something in common: international immigration led the gains.

Previous census data shows that net international migration added more than a million people to the US population last year, a big rebound from record lows seen during the pandemic.

“County growth and migration patterns have moved closer to pre-pandemic levels this year,” Hartley said.

The counties with the largest influx of international immigration last year were Miami-Dade County, Florida; Harris County, Texas, home to Houston; and Los Angeles County.

After Phoenix, the second largest overall population increase was Harris County with more than 45,000 new residents.

International immigration and births fueled gains in Houston, while 20,000 residents moved elsewhere in the US.

Collin County, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas, ranked third in population growth, with more than 44,000 new residents who moved mainly from other parts of the US.

Maricopa County, Arizona, where Phoenix is ​​located, remained the fastest-growing county in the nation, adding 56,831 residents in 2022, an increase of 1.3 percent.

Maricopa County, Arizona, where Phoenix is ​​located, remained the fastest-growing county in the nation, adding 56,831 residents in 2022, an increase of 1.3 percent.

Harris County, Los Angeles County and Dallas County had the largest natural increases, meaning births outnumbered deaths.

Three Florida counties, Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia, led the US in natural declines attributed to deaths exceeding births. Florida’s median age of 42.7 is one of the highest in the country.

The Census Bureau also noted that many counties with large universities saw their population fully rebound this year as students returned.

Whitman County, Washington, home to Washington State University, saw its population drop by 9.6 percent in 2021, but then grew by 10.1 percent last year, the most of any county with a population greater than 20,000.