International immigration to the Washington, D.C., region fell by 44% in a single year, according to a new Brookings Institution analysis of Census Bureau data. The drop, which followed a national trend, slowed population growth across the area known as the DMV. But one factor sets the region apart from every other major U.S. metro. Here is what the data shows.
A 44% drop
The Brookings report, published October 8, found that international immigration to the DMV fell from 80,044 people in 2023-24 to 44,804 in 2024-25. Each period runs from July to June. Researchers said this decline accounts for most of the slowdown in the region’s population growth.
Growth slows nationwide
Population growth slowed in almost every major U.S. metro area last year. Across 56 major metros, the median growth rate fell 37%. The DMV’s growth slowed 42%, placing it just behind the middle of the pack. Cleveland was the only major metro that grew faster than the year before.
Why the DMV stands out
The DMV is the only major U.S. metro area where the largest immigrant group comes from a country covered by Temporary Protected Status. That group is from El Salvador. TPS gives eligible people from designated countries permission to work and protection from deportation.
Suburbs feel it most
Most of the region’s immigrants live in three suburban counties: Fairfax in Virginia and Montgomery and Prince George’s in Maryland. Those same counties accounted for 62% of the drop in immigration. Prince George’s saw the largest share of the decline at 24%, followed by Fairfax and Montgomery.
Immigrants in the workforce
About 24% of DMV residents are foreign-born, the sixth-highest share among large U.S. metros. Immigrants make up more than half of the region’s construction workforce. Construction was the region’s fastest-growing sector in 2025, so the report says changes in immigration could affect housing and building.
Enforcement activity
Brookings also cited a separate analysis estimating 10,032 immigration arrests in the DMV between January 2025 and July 2026. That is about 9,050 more than the 2024 baseline. The researchers linked the increase in enforcement to a drop in recorded local employment in affected areas.
Domestic moves matter too
The District, Fairfax County and Alexandria also lost more residents to other parts of the U.S. in 2024-25 than a year earlier. The report pointed to federal job cuts and slower entry-level hiring as possible reasons. The DMV lost more jobs than any other metro in 2025.
