Growth in the Nation’s Largest Counties Rebounds in 2022
Mar 30, 2023
Growth in the Nation’s Largest Counties Rebounds in 2022
Counties with large colleges and universities experience population gains once again.
MARCH 30, 2023 — After some of the nation's most populous counties experienced significant outmigration and population declines in 2021, overall patterns of population growth and decline are moving towards pre-pandemic rates for the nation’s 3,144 counties according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 estimates of population and components of change released today. All 10 of the top fastest-growing counties were in the South or West.
“The migration and growth patterns for counties edged closer to pre-pandemic levels this year,” said Dr. Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections in the Census Bureau’s population division. “Some urban counties, such as Dallas and San Francisco, saw domestic outmigration at a slower pace between 2021 and 2022, compared to the prior year. Meanwhile, many counties with large universities saw their populations fully rebound this year as students returned.”