Pinellas County sees second-largest population drop in the US between 2024 and 2025, new census data shows

Census finds Pinellas County saw population dip

New census data shows thousands of people have left Pinellas County following a devastating stretch of back-to-back hurricanes — marking one of the largest population declines in the country. FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis reports.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - New census data shows thousands of people have left Pinellas County following a devastating stretch of back-to-back hurricanes — marking one of the largest population declines in the country.

By the numbers:

According to newly released figures, Pinellas County lost about 12,000 residents between 2024 and 2025, the second-largest population drop nationwide, behind only Los Angeles County, which faced historic wildfires during the same timeframe.

Local and state leaders say the numbers reflect what many in the community have already seen firsthand.

Courtesy: United States Census Bureau data

"I think the back-to-back hurricanes really hurt the Pinellas County community," State Representative Linda Chaney said. "People are still kind of traumatized from the hurricane."

Dig deeper:

After repeated storm impacts, some families made the decision to leave altogether, especially those living in vulnerable coastal areas.

Local moving companies and real estate professionals flagged the trend last year, as more residents began relocating, often in search of higher ground.

"Mainly from the beach areas is where we're seeing a big number moving out," Melisia Diamond, owner of All About Moving Tampa Bay, said.

The other side:

Despite the drop, officials say they are not sounding the alarm.

Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott told FOX 13 the population dip appears to be a reaction to the hurricanes, not a long-term concern.

In fact, long-term projections still show about 2% year-over-year growth over the next decade.

Chaney agrees, pointing to what she calls a typical post-storm pattern.

"A lot of people and businesses are still not recovered," Chaney said. "But I do think it will bounce back. Historically, when there's bad hurricanes, you get that initial dip, and then you get the ‘blue sky effect.’ People forget. The beach is beautiful, and it starts to come back."

At the same time, Pinellas County Schools are seeing declining enrollment, with leaders pointing to rising costs as one reason.

Families with school-aged children are increasingly being priced out, contributing to recent school closures and consolidations.

While affordability is a challenge across Florida, Chaney says there may be opportunities for policy changes.

"What I would like to see is us be able to limit private equity firms from buying up homes and artificially driving up prices," Chaney said.

What's next:

For now, county leaders say there are no immediate plans to formally review the census data.

However, Scott noted that if population losses continue at this pace, it could prompt a deeper discussion.