The City of Los Angeles had about 3.87 million residents on July 1, 2025, by the latest Census Bureau estimate. Los Angeles County, which includes the city and 87 other cities, had about 9.69 million. So the answer depends on which Los Angeles you mean. The gap between the two is almost 6 million people.
Below are the official numbers for the city, the county and the metro area. We also explain why agencies publish different totals. All figures are dated, because each source counts on a different day.
Los Angeles population at a glance
The Census Bureau released its Vintage 2025 city estimates on May 14, 2026. In its list of the most populous US cities, Los Angeles ranks second. Here is how the main geographies compare.
| Area | 2020 Census (April 1, 2020) | Census estimate (July 1, 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| City of Los Angeles | 3,898,747 | 3,869,089 |
| Los Angeles County | 10,014,009 | 9,694,934 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro (LA and Orange counties) | 13.2 million | 12,844,441 |
| Wider Los Angeles-Long Beach region (five counties) | 18.6 million | 18,444,299 |
The metro area adds Orange County to Los Angeles County. The wider region, which the Census Bureau calls a combined statistical area, also takes in Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. That is the “Greater Los Angeles” most people picture when they think of Southern California.
Is Los Angeles a city?
Yes. Los Angeles is an incorporated city with its own mayor, a 15-member city council and its own police and fire departments. It is also the name of the county around it, which is a separate government. Both date from 1850, the year California became a state.
That shared name causes most of the confusion. When a news story says “Los Angeles,” it may mean the city, the county or the whole region. Santa Monica, Long Beach, Pasadena and Beverly Hills, for example, sit inside LA County but are independent cities. They are not part of the City of Los Angeles.
The county has 88 incorporated cities in total. The City of Los Angeles is by far the largest, followed by Long Beach with about 462,000 people. Santa Clarita, Glendale and Lancaster come next. In addition, close to 1 million county residents live in unincorporated areas. East Los Angeles, Altadena and Marina del Rey are examples. Those communities have no city government, so the county Board of Supervisors serves as their local government.
Some neighborhoods add another layer. Hollywood, Venice, San Pedro and Van Nuys feel like separate towns, but they are all inside the City of Los Angeles. Their residents vote for the LA mayor and pay city taxes.
Why the Census and the state publish different numbers
Two official sources publish yearly population estimates for Los Angeles, and they rarely match. The Census Bureau estimates population as of July 1 each year. The California Department of Finance (DOF) uses January 1 instead. Its methods lean heavily on housing data.
| Area | Census Bureau (July 1, 2025) | California DOF (January 1, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| City of Los Angeles | 3,869,089 | 3,806,201 |
| Los Angeles County | 9,694,934 | 9,837,286 |
| Unincorporated LA County | about 944,000 | 983,184 |
The state figure for the city is lower than the federal one, while its county figure is higher. Neither is wrong. They measure different dates with different inputs, and each agency revises its earlier years every time it releases new data. In practice, use Census numbers to compare Los Angeles with cities in other states. Use the DOF numbers for comparisons inside California, because state agencies use them to plan budgets.
One tip for comparing years: always take both numbers from the same release. The Census Bureau warns that each new set of estimates revises the whole series back to 2020. Subtracting last year’s published total from this year’s can show a change that never happened.
Is the Los Angeles population shrinking?
Slightly, yes, though the trend has been uneven. By the Census count, LA County has about 3.2% fewer people than its April 2020 estimates base. Most of that drop came in 2020 and 2021. The county then lost much less in 2022 and 2023. It gained about 16,000 people in 2024, then lost about 54,000 in 2025.
The 2025 change breaks down like this in the Census data for the county:
- Births: about 91,000.
- Deaths: about 68,500, leaving a natural increase of roughly 22,600.
- Net international migration: about 29,300 people.
- Net domestic migration: about 105,500 more people moved from the county to other parts of the US than moved in.
The city followed the same path on a smaller scale. Its Census estimate fell about 3,600 between 2024 and 2025, after a gain of roughly 24,000 in 2024. The state’s estimate shows a sharper decline. According to the DOF E-1 population report, the city fell by about 33,000 in 2025 and the county by about 64,000. The department attributed the county’s loss to the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, the usual flow of residents to the Inland Empire, and deportations. The January 2025 fires destroyed about 11,160 housing units, according to the same report.
Still, the region keeps building. DOF counted about 11,260 net new housing units in LA County in 2025, the most of any county in the state.
How crowded is Los Angeles?
The City of Los Angeles covers about 469 square miles of land, based on the Census Bureau’s 2020 geographic files. That makes its 2025 density roughly 8,200 people per square mile. New York City, by comparison, packs more than twice as many people into far less land.
LA County is much larger, at about 4,059 square miles of land. Large parts of it are mountains, national forest and high desert. So its density works out to roughly 2,400 people per square mile. The population is concentrated in the Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.
How Los Angeles compares with other places
The City of Los Angeles is the second-largest US city. New York City had about 8.58 million residents in 2025, more than twice as many. Chicago, in third place, had about 2.73 million.
The county stands out even more. It is the most populous county in the country. Cook County, Illinois, ranks second with about 5.19 million, roughly half as many. If LA County were a state, it would rank 11th, just ahead of New Jersey. In other words, it has more people than 40 of the 50 states. It also holds about one in four Californians.
What the numbers mean if you live here or plan to move
Population figures drive real decisions. State and federal funding formulas, school planning, congressional seats and transit budgets all lean on them. For households, the count matters mostly through housing. A large population on a limited supply of homes keeps rents and home prices high, even when the total dips a little.
If you are weighing a move, look past the headline total. Check which city or unincorporated area an address belongs to, because that sets your local taxes, services and rules. Our guide to the cost of living in Los Angeles walks through rent, taxes and budgets in more detail. For more local explainers, see our Los Angeles and California guides.
For the latest official numbers, the Census QuickFacts page for Los Angeles shows city and county side by side. The next Census city estimates are due in May 2027, and the next DOF report usually comes out each May.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Los Angeles in 2026?
The newest figure is from the California Department of Finance: 3,806,201 people in the City of Los Angeles on January 1, 2026. The Census Bureau’s latest estimate is 3,869,089 for July 1, 2025.
Is Los Angeles a city or a county?
Both. The City of Los Angeles is one of 88 cities inside Los Angeles County. The county also serves nearly 1 million people in unincorporated areas.
How many people live in Los Angeles County?
About 9.69 million as of July 1, 2025, by the Census estimate. The state put it at 9,837,286 on January 1, 2026.
Is Los Angeles bigger than New York?
No. New York City has more than twice the population of the City of Los Angeles. However, LA County covers far more land than New York City. The LA metro area is the second largest in the country.
Have a question about this topic? Ask in the comments below. Our editors read every comment and answer questions here, and we add useful answers to the guide.
Sources
- census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/vintage-2025-city-town-pop-…
- www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals…
- www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/counties/tota…
- www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/metro/totals/…
- www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/state/totals/…
- census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/losangelescitycalifornia,losangele…
- www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_ga…
- dof.ca.gov/forecasting/demographics/estimates-e1
- dof.ca.gov/media/docs/forecasting/Demographics/estimates/E-1_2026_P…