15 US Cities Where Populations Decreased the Most

Published on March 16, 2024 at 11:19 am by Zarah Hamid in Business, Lists, News

In this article, we will be analyzing the population dynamics in the US and the 15 US cities where the population decreased the most. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can move directly to the 5 US Cities Where Populations Decreased the Most.

Population Dynamics in the US

The United States ranks among the most populous countries worldwide. As reported by the US Census Bureau, the country’s population is 336,167,022, as of March 14. Region-wise, the South accounted for 38.9% of the population growth in 2023. Population growths of 23.6% for the West, 20.6% for the Midwest, and 17% for the Northeast were reported in 2023. Some of the most populous US states include California, Texas, Florida, and New York. You can also take a look at the most densely populated cities in the US.

2022 showed the first signs of US recovery from the global pandemic in terms of population growth. This was when the US population was reported to have increased by 0.4%. The primary driver of this growth was the net international migration which added 1,010,923 people to the national population.

Future prediction represents a slow-paced population growth for the country over the coming years. On November 9, 2023, the US Census Bureau reported that the US population has been forecasted to approach almost 370 million in 2080 before moving downward to 366 million in 2100. It has been projected that immigration will be the largest contributing factor to the US population growth. Simultaneously, a natural decrease in the country’s population will be supported by declining fertility rates and an aging population. The reduced fertility rates will also impact the nation’s age structure, leading to more adults aged 65 and above as compared to children under the age of 18.

Declining Populations: Past Trends and Future Projections

One year into the pandemic, the US Census Bureau reported that some of the fastest-growing US cities during the pre-pandemic period, witnessed slower growth rates after the pandemic. Population growth especially slowed in the cities of Leander in Texas and Meridian in Idaho.

With respect to the fastest declining cities, San Fransisco ranked at the top in 2021 when it was not even a part of the list in 2019. Even for the city of Cupertino which had been a declining city in both 2019 and 2021, the drop in its population growth was almost triple. Overall, six of the top fifteen declining cities were based in California. The largest numeric decrease in population was recorded in New York City, San Fransisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

A recent study reveals that almost half of the 30,000 US cities will be subject to depopulation by 2100. This study initially began as a project commissioned by the Illinois Department of Transportation to carry out an analysis of the challenges in transportation that could arise from population changes in Illinois. However, a deeper analysis showed that the biggest population losses will be taking place in the Northeast and Midwest of the country as the population moves to the South and West. States such as Texas and Utah where the population tends to be growing as of now, will be seeing a fair share of their cities undergoing depopulation in the future. The population will also be declining in the cities situated in Illinois, Mississippi, Kansas, New Hampshire, and Michigan. Overall, some sort of depopulation has been forecasted for all US states except for the District of Columbia and Hawaii.

Business in the Depopulating State of California

California is home to a majority of cities where the population has decreased the most in recent years. It is an important US state in terms of business as well. The state boasts a robust technology sector. Some of the dominant technology firms in California include Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ), and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA). Let’s take a look at what these firms have been up to. Some of the biggest California companies and stocks have also been previously discussed.

The tech giant Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is headquartered in Cupertino, California. Recently, the company made a development in the laptop space and launched a new and more powerful MacBook Air. On March 4, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced that the new 13- and 15‑inch MacBook Air will be available beginning March 8. Using the powerful M3 chip, the MacBook Air tends to be up to 60% faster than the model having an M1 chip. It also ranks as the world’s best consumer laptop for AI while allowing up to 18 hours of battery life. Based on the improved performance and features, the 13-inch model serves as the bestselling laptop globally while the 15-inch model is the bestselling 15-inch laptop around the world.

The Palo Alto-based HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) offers more than 100 AI-enabled solutions under its artificial intelligence portfolio. On March 7, the company unveiled the industry’s largest portfolio of AI PCs. This includes HP Elite PCs which serve as the leading business laptops for collaboration in the world, and Z by HP mobile workstations. HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) has also announced program enhancements for channel partners under which they will now be capable of accessing the first role-based AI partner training and certification program.

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is another California-based technology company that is enabling the penetration of generative AI, an emerging tech trend. On March 7, the company reported the introduction of a new professional certification in generative AI. Developers and professionals can polish their proficiency in AI through this professional certification program from NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) which encompasses two associate-level generative AI certifications. The certification will focus on large language models and multimodal workflow skills. You can also take a look at the fastest-growing technology companies in the US.

Now that we have navigated through the population dynamics in the US, depopulating cities and their business potential, we can move to the 15 US cities where populations decreased the most.

15 US Cities Where Populations Decreased the Most

Our Methodology:

In order to compile a list of the 15 US cities where populations decreased the most, we sourced data from the US Census Bureau. For our rankings, we focused on cities that recorded the most recent population declines. Hence, we acquired the city-wise population estimates for 2020 and 2022. Comparing both populations, we found the percentage change in city populations from 2020 to 2022. Finally, we ranked the cities with the highest declines in population from 2020 to 2022, in ascending order of their population declines.

15 US Cities Where Populations Decreased the Most

15. Berkeley, California

Population (2020): 124,324

Population (2022): 118,950

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -4.3%

Berkeley is located on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. The population in the city recorded a decline of 4.3%, from 124,324 in 2020 to 118,950 in 2022. Hence, Berkeley ranks among the 15 US cities where populations decreased the most.

14. Sandy, Utah

Population (2020): 97,253

Population (2022): 93,022

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -4.4%

The population has also been declining in Sandy. It is situated in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area in Utah. As reported by the US Census Bureau, the population of Sandy declined from 97,253 in 2020 to 93,022 in 2022.

13. Union City, California

Population (2020): 70,140

Population (2022): 67,039

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -4.4%

California’s Alameda County hosts the Union City which has recorded a recent decrease in its population. The city’s population went down by 4.4%, from 70,140 in 2020 to 67,039 in 2022.

12. San Mateo, California

Population (2020): 105,665

Population (2022): 100,984

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -4.4%

San Mateo ranks as one of the US cities where populations decreased the most. The city is based in San Mateo County, California. The city recorded a 4.4% decrease in its population between 2020 and 2022.

11. Redwood City, California

Population (2020): 84,303

Population (2022): 80,512

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -4.5%

Positioned in Northern California’s Bay Area, Redwood City is another US city where the population has declined. As reported by the US Census Bureau, the city’s population decreased by 4.5% between 2020 and 2022.

10. San Leandro, California

Population (2020): 90,998

Population (2022): 86,762

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -4.7%

The 15 US cities where populations decreased the most rank San Leandro as well. The city is situated in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. San Leandro’s population dropped from 90,998 in 2020 to 86,762 in 2022.

9. Lynwood, California

Population (2020): 67,256

Population (2022): 64,086

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -4.7%

The city of Lynwood is located in the Los Angeles County in California. The city’s population decreased from 67,256 in 2020 to 64,086 in 2022. Therefore, Lynwood is one of the US cities where the population has declined the most.

8. Daly City, California

Population (2020): 104,973

Population (2022): 100,007

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -4.7%

Daly City is based in San Mateo County in California and ranks as another city that has recorded a decrease in its population. As evident from the population decline of 4.7%, the city’s population went down from 104,973 in 2020 to 100,007 in 2022.

7. Union City, New Jersey

Population (2020): 68,631

Population (2022): 65,366

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -4.8%

Union City is situated in the northern part of New Jersey’s Hudson County. It ranks among US cities where the population decreased the most. Between 2020 and 2022, the population in the city went down by 4.8%.

6. St. Louis, Missouri

Population (2020): 301,574

Population (2022): 286,578

Percentage Change (2020-2022): -5.0%

The diverse economy of St. Louis is based on strong sectors including service, manufacturing, trade, and transportation. The population of St. Louis dropped from 301,574 in 2020 to 286,578 in 2022. This represents a population decline of 5.0%.

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