In this article, we will look at the 17 fastest declining cities in the US.
Migration Trends in the US: An Analysis
Over the past few years, the US has experienced an increase in migration. According to the Census Bureau, 42% of the immigrants moved due to housing reasons, 26% for family reasons, 16% for employment reasons, and only 1% moved due to climate-related reasons. The migration trend has led to a decline in some cities in the US, while others have experienced growth.
According to REALTORS 2024 Migration Trends, 46% of its clients relocated to the South, 25% to the West, 18% to the Midwest, and 11% to the Northeast in 2024. Whereas, 33% of REALTORS’ respondents relocated from the South, 30% from the West, 22% from the Midwest, and 15% from the Northeast. Most of REALTORS’ clients moved within the same state, 21% of them moved within the same city, 1% moved to a different city in the same area, and 21% migrated to a different area within their state. Only 36% of the REALTORS’ clients moved to a different state.
Fastest Declining States
The fastest declining cities are located in the fastest declining states, which completely makes sense. New York, Illinois, Louisiana, California, and West Virginia are five of the fastest declining states in the US. New York’s population has declined by 2.65% between 2020 and 2023. At the same time, the population of Illinois, Louisiana, California, and West Virginia have plunged by 1.88%, 1.68%, 1.36%, and 1.20%, respectively.
On the other side, South Carolina, Florida, and Idaho had the highest population influx between 2020-2023. Florida experienced the highest migration influx in 2023 with 372,870 moving to the Southern state, while 218,565 moved to the Carolinas.
Overview of Housing Market
The U.S. housing market is influenced by a wide range of factors such as employment, affordability, healthcare, taxes, and weather, among many. This has resulted in a decline in population, economic activity, and property values for some cities in recent years. The National Association of Realtors reports that existing home sales in the US dropped to an annual rate of 3.78 million in 2023, the lowest sales figures in three decades. This reflects a 6.2% drop from 2022, contrasting with the typical annual rate of 4.09 million. Meanwhile, the median existing-home sales price rose by 4.4% year-over-year, reaching $382,600 in 2023. The latest housing market trend is showing good signs with existing home sales rising in October across all four major US regions.
In October 2024, the annual rate of existing home sales in the Northeast rose 2.2% from September to 470,000, identical to the figure in October 2023. The median price in the Northeast was $472,900, a 7.6% increase from a year ago. In the Midwest, existing home sales surged 6.7% in October 2024 to an annual rate of 950,000, up 1.1% year-over-year. The median price in the Midwest was around $305,300, a rise of 7.2% from October 2023. In the South, existing home sales reached an annual rate of 1.77 million in October 2024, up 2.3% from one year ago and the median price was around $361,200, up 0.9% year-over-year. Whereas, the West saw a year-over-year rise of 8.5% in existing home sales and the median price reached $627,700, which was 4.4% higher compared to October 2023.
The housing market is on a surge and the median existing home sales in the US have observed 16th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains, as of October 2024. “The worst of the downturn in home sales could be over, with increasing inventory leading to more transactions,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.
With that, let’s take a look at the 17 Fastest Declining Cities in the US.
An aerial view of multifamily properties in the southeastern United States.
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the 17 fastest declining cities in the US, we consulted the annual population growth of over 1900 cities between 2020-2023 from the US Census Bureau. We calculated the percentage change in the population of each city between 2020-2023 and ranked the cities based on their population decline. We have listed the 17 fastest-declining cities in the US in ascending order of their percentage fall in population between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2023.
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17 Fastest Declining Cities in the US
17. East Palo Alto, California
Percentage Change in Population: -5.99%
The population in East Palo Alto has declined from 29,948 in 2020 to 28,216 by the middle of 2023. East Palo Alto is home to 62.1% of the population of Hispanics and Latinos, as of July 2023. With a population decline of just under 6%, East Palo Alto is one of the fastest declining cities in the US.
16. San Carlos, California
Percentage Change in Population: -6%
San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, with a population of 28,862 as of July 2023, with a White majority of 59.4%. The population in July 2020 was around 30,638. San Carlos ranks 16th among the fastest-declining cities in the US.
15. Vicksburg, Mississippi
Percentage Change in Population: -6.10%
Vicksburg is a city in western Mississippi known for its key Civil War battle. Vicksburg accommodates over 20,100 people, with a majority of 73.8% Black alone population. The city in Mississippi is one of the fastest declining cities in the US.
14. Menlo Park, California
Percentage Change in Population: -6.14%
Menlo Park is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. White people account for 57.5% of the total population in Menlo Park City, as of July 2023. The Californian city’s population has decreased by 6.14% between 2020 and 2023 and ranks among the fastest declining places in the US.
13. Jackson, Mississippi
Percentage Change in Population: -6.20%
The population of Jackson, Mississippi has declined by 6.20% due to economic challenges, social issues, and infrastructure concerns. Jackson is the capital of the state of Mississippi and ranks 13th among the fastest declining places in the US.
12. Gallup, New Mexico
Percentage Change in Population: -6.31%
Gallup is a small city in New Mexico, on historic Route 66. The city has the majority population of American Indians and Native Alaska alone, followed by Hispanics and Latinos. Between 2020 and 2023, Gallup’s population dropped from more than 21,800 to just over 20,400, making it one of the fastest declining cities in the US.
11. Ypsilanti, Michigan
Percentage Change in Population: -6.32%
Ypsilanti is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Ypsilanti’s majority population consists of native Americans or White alone people. Michigan’s city population has declined from nearly 20,600 in 2020 to 19,300 in 2023. Ypsilanti is one of the fastest declining places in the US.
10. St. Louis, Missouri
Percentage Change in Population: -6.38%
Ranking 10th on our list of the 17 fastest declining cities in the US, St.Louis is part of the bi-state metropolitan area of Illinois. With proximity to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, it is a historically and economically significant city. Between 2020-2023, St.Louis had a -6.38% change in population.
9. Greenville, Mississippi
Percentage Change in Population: -6.43%
Greenville is one of the most populous cities in Mississippi, however, it has dropped from over 29,400 in 2020 to 27,644 in 2023. Greenville is one of the fastest declining places in the US.
8. Pleasanton, California
Percentage Change in Population: -6.45%
Pleasanton had a population of just over 74,600 in 2023, declining from nearly 79,600 in 2020. People of White and Asian ethnicity account for a combined 85% of the total population. Pleasanton is one of the fastest declining cities in California and the US.
7. Lake Charles, Louisiana
Percentage Change in Population: -6.52%
Lake Charles in the state of Louisiana ranks seventh on our list of the fastest declining cities in the US. It is one of the most populated cities in the state of Louisiana. Surrounded by lakes, the city is mainly known for its tourism, petrochemical refining industry, and other industrial setups. Lake Charles had a population decline of -6.52% between 2020-2023.
6. Revere, Massachusetts
Percentage Change in Population: -6.60%
Revere City is named after the American patriot Paul Revere and ranks among the fastest declining places in the US. With proximity to Boston, it has a dense population and attracts scores of tourists each year. The percentage change in population in Revere City was -6.60% or a drop from more than 84,800 to just over 79,600 between 2020-2023.