The population in the nation’s metro areas rose by nearly 3.2 million, a 1.1% increase, between 2023 and 2024. This growth slightly outpaced the overall U.S. population increase of 1.0% during the same timeframe.
As of July 1, 2024, nearly 294 million people, accounting for about 86% of the total U.S. population, resided in metro areas. Notably, approximately 88% of these metro areas experienced growth, indicating a significant rebound from the pandemic years where only around 64% of areas gained population in 2020-2021.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many regions saw a natural decrease due to more deaths than births, alongside a drop in net international migration and a loss of nearly 200,000 residents due to net domestic outmigration.
However, the recent years have brought forth significant changes as metro areas witness a boost in population growth. An increase in net international migration, coupled with a rise in births exceeding deaths, has contributed to this trend, counterbalancing the effects of net domestic outmigration.
Specific metro areas are illustrating this turnaround effectively. For instance, the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, which had lost nearly 277,000 residents during the pandemic, added over 213,000 people between 2023 and 2024. This growth has now made it the largest-gaining metro area in the nation, primarily attributed to a decrease in net domestic outmigration and a surge in net international migration.
Similarly, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area transitioned from a loss of over 214,000 people in 2020-2021 to a gain of more than 41,000 in the last round of calculations. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, which faced losses of approximately 77,000 and then 52,000 in prior years, managed to add nearly 28,000 in 2022-2023 and about 71,000 in the recent year.
Other metro areas that have noted a positive shift include Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA; and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH even exceeded 5 million residents during this period.
Specific regions are emerging as hotspots for both numeric and percentage increases in population growth, particularly in the South and West. Texas, the nation’s second-most populous state, saw substantial population increases across its metro areas during this timeframe.
Highlighting these developments, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area gained nearly 178,000 residents, marking it as the third largest-gaining metro area nationally. Next in line, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands added over 198,000 people, making it the second largest gain after New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos also showcased significant growth, increasing by over 58,000 residents or 2.3%, confirming its status among the nation’s fastest-growing metro areas.
In Florida, over 467,000 new residents were recorded between 2023 and 2024, showcasing some of the fastest-growing metro areas in the nation. Notable growth was seen in Ocala, which grew by 4%, establishing it as the fastest-growing metro area.
Additionally, Panama City-Panama City Beach expanded by 3.8%, securing its position as the second fastest-growing area. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford also contributed significantly, with growth figures around 123,000 and 76,000, respectively.
States like North Carolina and South Carolina also reported remarkable population growth during this time period. Coastal metro areas such as Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC and Wilmington, NC grew by 3.8% and 2.6%, respectively.
Raleigh-Cary, NC recorded an increase of over 39,000, with a 2.6% growth rate, while Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC observed a growth of more than 61,000 residents, ranking 11th nationwide in annual numeric growth.
To the West, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ continued on its growth path, welcoming nearly 85,000 new residents from 2023 to 2024. Similarly, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA added almost 40,000 people, reinforcing its position among the nation’s largest-gaining metro areas.
image source from：https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2025/04/metro-area-trends.html
