Midsize US Cities Hold Steady as National Population Growth Slows

Midsize US cities held steady in population over the past year even as the national population grew at one of the slowest rates in recent history, according to new estimates released Thursday by the Census Bureau. Across the country, the growth of large cities was outpaced by that of surrounding midsize cities, defined as municipalities with populations ranging from about 25,000 to 70,000.

One such city in a metro area increased its population by 6.8 percent to 38,673. Its growth outpaced that of Charlotte, the nation’s 14th-largest city. The new census estimates capture changes from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025. The period coincided with declining immigration under tighter border policies imposed toward the end of the Biden administration and aggressive enforcement under the Trump administration.

The figures also reflected the continuing effects of declining birthrates, as the country’s fertility rate fell to a record low.

Since 2021 The nation’s population increased by about 1.8 million over the past year, reaching almost 342 million on July 1. That represents a roughly 0.5 percent growth rate, the lowest since 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic caused an increase in deaths and a slowdown in migration.

According to the new census estimates, drop-offs in average growth were steepest in the largest cities, especially those in the Northeast. Among the largest cities, average growth rates fell by at least half compared with a year earlier. Net immigration added almost 1.3 million people to the US population over the period measured, considerably lower than the roughly 2.7 million added in the prior year.