The fastest shrinking counties in the United States
Reeves County, Texas -17.8%
Which US counties are losing population fastest?
What this list shows
- 2,407 of the 3,144 US counties and county-equivalents have a published figure for population change since 2020. This ranking additionally excludes counties under 10,000 people.
- Louisiana accounts for 15 of the top 100, ahead of West Virginia with 11 and Mississippi with 10.
- The top 100 is not made up only of counties. It includes 2 independent cities, 15 parishes, and 1 borough. County-equivalents are ranked alongside counties here, and the type column says which is which.
The top 100
| Rank | County | State | Type | Change since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reeves County | Texas | County | -17.8% |
| 2 | Tallahatchie County | Mississippi | County | -14.0% |
| 3 | Yazoo County | Mississippi | County | -14.0% |
| 4 | Lassen County | California | County | -13.1% |
| 5 | Phillips County | Arkansas | County | -13.0% |
| 6 | Howard County | Texas | County | -12.4% |
| 7 | Hertford County | North Carolina | County | -11.2% |
| 8 | Sunflower County | Mississippi | County | -10.9% |
| 9 | McDowell County | West Virginia | County | -10.9% |
| 10 | Telfair County | Georgia | County | -10.1% |
| 11 | Lawrence County | Illinois | County | -9.7% |
| 12 | Leflore County | Mississippi | County | -9.4% |
| 13 | Washington County | Mississippi | County | -9.4% |
| 14 | Buchanan County | Virginia | County | -8.7% |
| 15 | Mingo County | West Virginia | County | -8.7% |
| 16 | Bolivar County | Mississippi | County | -8.4% |
| 17 | Holmes County | Mississippi | County | -8.4% |
| 18 | Breathitt County | Kentucky | County | -8.3% |
| 19 | Dallas County | Alabama | County | -8.0% |
| 20 | Harlan County | Kentucky | County | -7.6% |
| 21 | New Madrid County | Missouri | County | -7.6% |
| 22 | Arkansas County | Arkansas | County | -7.4% |
| 23 | St. Louis city | Missouri | Independent city | -7.4% |
| 24 | Vernon Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -7.3% |
| 25 | Pemiscot County | Missouri | County | -7.2% |
| 26 | Wyoming County | West Virginia | County | -7.1% |
| 27 | Letcher County | Kentucky | County | -7.0% |
| 28 | Morehouse Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -6.9% |
| 29 | Boone County | West Virginia | County | -6.9% |
| 30 | Macon County | Alabama | County | -6.8% |
| 31 | Mississippi County | Arkansas | County | -6.7% |
| 32 | Hinds County | Mississippi | County | -6.6% |
| 33 | Logan County | West Virginia | County | -6.6% |
| 34 | Coahoma County | Mississippi | County | -6.5% |
| 35 | Perry County | Kentucky | County | -6.4% |
| 36 | Pike County | Kentucky | County | -6.4% |
| 37 | Warren County | Mississippi | County | -6.3% |
| 38 | McKinley County | New Mexico | County | -6.1% |
| 39 | Dickenson County | Virginia | County | -6.0% |
| 40 | Brooke County | West Virginia | County | -6.0% |
| 41 | Ashley County | Arkansas | County | -5.9% |
| 42 | Plumas County | California | County | -5.9% |
| 43 | Knott County | Kentucky | County | -5.9% |
| 44 | Union County | Kentucky | County | -5.9% |
| 45 | Assumption Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.9% |
| 46 | St. James Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.9% |
| 47 | St. John the Baptist Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.9% |
| 48 | Lincoln County | West Virginia | County | -5.9% |
| 49 | Choctaw County | Alabama | County | -5.7% |
| 50 | Conecuh County | Alabama | County | -5.7% |
| 51 | Jefferson County | Arkansas | County | -5.7% |
| 52 | San Francisco County | California | County | -5.6% |
| 53 | Mitchell County | Georgia | County | -5.6% |
| 54 | Pointe Coupee Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.6% |
| 55 | Dawson County | Texas | County | -5.6% |
| 56 | Fayette County | West Virginia | County | -5.6% |
| 57 | Orleans Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.5% |
| 58 | Greene County | Pennsylvania | County | -5.5% |
| 59 | Mono County | California | County | -5.4% |
| 60 | Henry County | Iowa | County | -5.4% |
| 61 | Caddo Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.4% |
| 62 | Northampton County | North Carolina | County | -5.4% |
| 63 | St. Francis County | Arkansas | County | -5.3% |
| 64 | Claiborne Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.3% |
| 65 | Plaquemines Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.3% |
| 66 | St. Mary Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.3% |
| 67 | Schuyler County | New York | County | -5.3% |
| 68 | Union County | Arkansas | County | -5.2% |
| 69 | Otero County | Colorado | County | -5.2% |
| 70 | Webster Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.2% |
| 71 | Roosevelt County | Montana | County | -5.2% |
| 72 | Bristol city | Virginia | Independent city | -5.2% |
| 73 | Kodiak Island Borough | Alaska | Borough | -5.1% |
| 74 | Greene County | Illinois | County | -5.1% |
| 75 | Marengo County | Alabama | County | -5.0% |
| 76 | Sumter County | Alabama | County | -5.0% |
| 77 | Bienville Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -5.0% |
| 78 | Lee County | South Carolina | County | -5.0% |
| 79 | Mason County | Illinois | County | -4.9% |
| 80 | Martin County | Kentucky | County | -4.9% |
| 81 | Butler County | Alabama | County | -4.8% |
| 82 | Bell County | Kentucky | County | -4.8% |
| 83 | Terrebonne Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -4.8% |
| 84 | Dunklin County | Missouri | County | -4.8% |
| 85 | Roane County | West Virginia | County | -4.8% |
| 86 | Santa Cruz County | California | County | -4.7% |
| 87 | Ward County | Texas | County | -4.7% |
| 88 | Wetzel County | West Virginia | County | -4.7% |
| 89 | Hempstead County | Arkansas | County | -4.6% |
| 90 | Iberia Parish | Louisiana | Parish | -4.6% |
| 91 | Texas County | Oklahoma | County | -4.6% |
| 92 | Hutchinson County | Texas | County | -4.6% |
| 93 | Siskiyou County | California | County | -4.5% |
| 94 | McDonough County | Illinois | County | -4.5% |
| 95 | Massac County | Illinois | County | -4.5% |
| 96 | Floyd County | Iowa | County | -4.5% |
| 97 | Scurry County | Texas | County | -4.5% |
| 98 | Hancock County | West Virginia | County | -4.5% |
| 99 | Del Norte County | California | County | -4.4% |
| 100 | Inyo County | California | County | -4.4% |
Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, released 26 March 2026. Computed from the Vintage 2025 estimate series: the 2025 estimate against the 2020 estimate. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
This is the top 100. See the complete table of all 3,144 counties.
Other rankings
- The most populous counties in the United States
- The least populous counties in the United States
- The largest counties in the United States by land area
- The smallest counties in the United States by land area
- The most densely populated counties in the United States
- The least densely populated counties in the United States
- The fastest growing counties in the United States
- The highest median household income counties in the United States
- The lowest median household income counties in the United States
- The highest median home value counties in the United States
- The oldest counties in the United States by median age
Rebuilt from source data 30 August 2026. How these figures are produced.