10 American Cities in Decline Population-Wise
A big drop in population within a city can affect the local real estate market, small businesses, and more. According to a study SmartAsset conducted in 2023, these cities saw the most decrease in their number of residents between 2017 and 2022.Â
Going Down
To determine which US cities experienced the most significant population decreases during the five-year period between 2017 and 2022, SmartAsset examined 344 cities with a population of 100,000 or higher. This population data includes people of all ages, and changes may be due to births, deaths, or migrations.
1: Paradise, Nevada
It seems folks were looking for a ticket to leave Paradise over the five years in SmartAsset’s study. Located adjacent to Las Vegas, Paradise experienced a significant population drop of around 22% during that period. In 2022, the city had a population of 183,321.
2: Jackson, Mississippi
Known as the most populous city in Mississippi, Jackson went from 167,250 residents in 2017 to 146,019 in 2022. That equates to a 12.7% population decline in five years.
3: East Los Angeles, California
While many Americans flock to Los Angeles for their chance in the spotlight or proximity to the rich and famous, East LA saw a population decline of roughly 10% from 2017 to 2022. It lost 12,577 residents.
4: Aurora, Illinois
As a suburb of Chicago, Illinois’s second most populous city experienced a population decrease of nearly 10% from 2017 to 2022. It reported only 182,336 residents in 2022 compared to 202,548 in 2017.
5: El Monte, California
In Los Angeles County, fewer people were saying “Welcome to El Monte” than ever between 2017 and 2022. El Monte’s population dropped by about 9.3%, with its population standing at 105,307 at the time of the study.
6: San Francisco, California
It may surprise some that San Francisco landed on this list, but the popular California destination saw an 8.6% population loss since 2017. San Fran went from 884,363 residents in 2017 to 808,437 in 2022.
7: Hialeah, Florida
Nestled in Miami-Dade County, Hialeah experienced an 8.1% decline in residents. In 2017, they reported 239,682 residents, down to 220,274 in 2022.
8: Detroit, Michigan
Famed as the birthplace of Motown Records and its ties to the automotive industry, Detroit has seen a mass exodus in recent years. Their population decreased by 7.8% since 2017, when they had 673,103 residents. That number has since dwindled to 620,410 in 2022.
9: Santa Ana, California
Another city from the Golden State landed on this list of American cities with the biggest population decreases, as Santa Ana’s population fell by approximately 7.8%. While the population stood at 334,135 in 2017, by 2022, it had dropped to 308,203 residents.
10: Birmingham, Alabama
The Magic City is another US city that experienced a significant population decrease between 2017 and 2022. As a major city in Alabama, Birmingham lost 16,391 total residents over the five-year period. Its population in 2022 stood at 196,353.
Golden Goodbyes
California cities can’t catch a break from declining populations. Forty percent of the top 25 cities where the population decreased most were in the Golden State. Glendale, Inglewood, San Jose, Pasadena, Concord, and Corona joined the other California cities that topped the list.
Rapid Decline
While Elgin, Illinois, had a relatively low five-year population decline of 4.2% compared to the cities listed here, it saw the highest one-year population decline of all cities on this list. The population decreased by 7% in just one year, dropping from 117,850 to 109,634 in 2022.
On the Rise
On the flip side, some cities experienced exponential growth over the same five-year period. Take Buckeye, Arizona, which grew 54.3% from 2017 to 2022. Its population rose from 68,431 to 105,567.
Girl Power
As for the cities with the most significant population shift towards women, Fullerton, California, takes the cake. The city went from 48% of women in 2017 to 53% in 2022. Palm Bay, Florida, and Concord, North Carolina, followed closely behind, with 52.5% and 53% of women making up their population, respectively.
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