(DCNF)—The population of Los Angeles County, California declined by 56,420 from July 2022 to July 2023, according to data released by the Census Bureau. That was the largest population decline for any county in the United States.
As of July 1, 2022, Los Angeles County had a population of 9,719,765. A year later, it had a population of 9,663,345, according to the Census Bureau data.
The counties with the second, third and fourth largest population losses from July 2022 to July 2023 were all in New York City. They were Kings County (which encompasses Brooklyn), which saw its population drop by 28,306 (from 2,589,531 to 2,561,225); Queens County, where the population dropped by 26,362 (from 2,278,558 to 2,252,196); and Bronx County, where the population dropped by 25,332 (from 1,381,808 to 1,356,476).
Two other California counties were also in the nation’s Top Ten for population loss from July 2022 to July 2023. Orange County ranked seventh with a decline of 14,617; and San Diego County ranked tenth with a decline of 7,203.
Overall, 40 of California’s 58 counties saw a decline in population from July 2022 to July 2023. In New York, 47 of the state’s 62 counties saw a decline.
Despite experiencing the nation’s largest population loss, Los Angeles County remained the most populous county in the nation.
The next most populous county in the country on July 1, 2023, was Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago, where the population was 5,087,072.
A rural California jurisdiction—Lassen County—led the nation in the percent decline in its population, which dopped 3.9 percent from July 1, 2022 (30,020) to July 1, 2023 (28,361). Two other California counties ranked in the top five for the percent decline in its population. Siskiyou County, California, ranked third with a 2.1 percent decline (43,786 to 42,905); and Del Norte County, California, ranked fifth with a 1.9 percent decline (27,112 to 26,589).
Lassen, Siskiyou and Del Norte counties are all in the far northern part of California. Lassen County sits along the Nevada border; Del Norte County sits along the coast and borders Oregon; and Siskiyou County is just east of Del Norte County and also borders Oregon.