Vintage 2021 County and Metropolitan/Micropolitan Statistical Area Total Population and Components of Change Estimates; and Vintage 2021 Puerto Rico Municipio Total Population Estimates Press Kit

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Vintage 2021 County and Metropolitan/Micropolitan Statistical Area Total Population and Components of Change Estimates; and Vintage 2021 Puerto Rico Municipio Total Population Estimates Press Kit

March 24, 2022

News Release

Over Two-Thirds of the Nation’s Counties Had Natural Decrease in 2021

March 24, 2022

COVID-19 pandemic's impact on births and deaths results in a record number of counties experiencing natural decrease.
Dos tercios de los condados del país tuvieron una disminución natural

March 24, 2022

Según las estimaciones de población de la Oficina del Censo publicadas hoy, más del 73 % de condados de los EE. UU. tuvieron una disminución natural en el 2021.

Tables and Datasets

Annual Resident Population

Components of Resident Population Change

Numeric Change, Percent Change, and Rankings

Downloadable Files

Annual Resident Population Estimates, Estimated Components of Resident Population Change, and Rates of the Components of Resident Population Change for States and Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 [<1.0 MB]

File layout [PDF <1.0 MB]

Annual Resident Population Estimates and Estimated Components of Resident Population Change for Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Their Geographic Components: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 [<1.0 MB]

File layout [PDF <1.0 MB]

Annual Resident Population Estimates and Estimated Components of Resident Population Change for Combined Statistical Areas and Their Geographic Components: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 [<1.0 MB]

File layout [PDF <1.0 MB]

America Counts Stories

Deaths Outnumbered Births in Half of All States Between 2020 and 2021

Higher deaths and lower fertility during the COVID-19 pandemic led to natural decrease in nearly three-quarters of the nation’s counties.
U.S. Deaths Spiked as COVID-19 Continued

The United States experienced its largest increase in deaths between 2019 and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
What Has Driven Population Change in U.S. Counties?

In most counties, domestic migration played a larger role in population growth than births, deaths and international migration, possibly due to the pandemic.
Net Domestic Migration Increased in Many U.S. Counties in 2021

Smaller counties were more likely to experience net domestic migration gains and larger counties declines last year, possibly due to the pandemic.

News Graphic

Where Counties are Growing

Percent change in population by county: 2020 to 2021.

Data Tools

Background Information

Archived Newsroom Products

Outside Contacts

Page Last Revised - March 24, 2022

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