Growth in the Triangle cools slightly but still among nation's fastest
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Population growth is slowing in most counties nationwide amid a massive drop in immigration, new U.S. Census data shows.
- But that isn't stopping the Triangle from still being among the fastest-growing areas in the country.
Why it matters: The new data offers the best look yet at how tighter immigration enforcement is affecting America's demographic makeup, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes.
By the numbers: The Raleigh metro area was the 10th fastest-growing metro in the country between July 2024 and July 2025, growing 2.4% to nearly 1.6 million people.
Driving the news: International migration fell in nine out of 10 U.S. counties between 2024 and 2025 compared to the prior period, the Census Bureau says.
- Other counties stayed flat.
Between the lines: That drop is hitting some areas harder than others.
- Census Bureau demographer George M. Hayward, in a statement: "The nation's largest counties ... are often international migration hubs, gaining large numbers of international migrants and losing people that move to other parts of the country via domestic migration."
- Case in point: California's Los Angeles County lost nearly 54,000 people from 2024 to 2025, down about -0.6%. (It remains the biggest U.S. county, with about 9.7 million people.)
Yes, but: The Census data predates a surge in immigration enforcement activity, including immigration enforcement operations in the Triangle last fall.
Zoom in: Here are some highlights from the Census batch:
- Wake County had the fifth-most growth of any county last year — adding 27,760 residents, or roughly 76 people per day. But it's growth rate has slowed from 2.4% in 2024 to 2.3% in 2025.
- The entire Triangle's net migration was around 39,000 people, which included about 15,000 coming from out of the country and roughly 24,000 from other parts of the country.
- Durham County grew 1.4% in 2025, reaching more than 347,000 residents.
- Across the Triangle, there were around 10,000 more births than deaths.
- The Wilmington metro was the seventh fastest-growing metro, growing 2.6% to nearly 493,000 people.
- Asheville was the only metro area to lose population last year, seeing a decline of 0.1% in the year after Hurricane Helene hit the mountain region.