South sees population boom as other US regions slow: US Census Bureau

Many counties in the U.S. experienced slower growth, but the South was largely unaffected by this phenomenon. Overall, the South saw a 6 percent increase in population between 2020 and 2025, nearly double the national population growth of 3.1 percent.

"Regional age patterns are changing for a few key reasons,” said Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Branch, in a press release. “The continued transition of baby boomers into retirement age, compounded by local migration and fertility patterns, is shifting the demographic makeup of the country. The South stands out because it is seeing population gains in age groups that, in other regions, saw little change or are declining, reflecting its strong positive migration patterns this decade.”

The data also examines which age groups were driving growth across U.S. counties. The South is the only region whose population under age 18 grew from 2020 to 2025, at 1.1 percent, with the Northeast, Midwest, and West all experiencing declines. The bureau also reports that metro areas were the primary driver of the South’s population growth.

“The South’s growth from 2020 to 2025 has been particularly prominent in its metro areas’ outlying counties,” added Bowers. “These outlying counties grew the fastest across all age groups, and often by a large margin, suggesting that they are attracting or retaining—likely some combination of both—people of all ages.”

There was also outlying data outside of the South that the bureau uncovered. It was revealed that the under-18 share of the total population tended to be largest in counties in parts of Alaska and Texas. These counties tend to have higher fertility rates. The data also found that higher concentrations of people ages 18 to 24 were often seen in counties with large universities or military populations. The data further showed that the population age 65 and older was highest in some areas of Florida, Texas, and along the East Coast.