The Latest Trends in US Urban Population Growth: A Comparative Analysis of City Performance.
The recent data released by the United States Census Bureau has revealed a significant shift in urban population distribution across the country, with some cities losing residents while others are experiencing considerable growth. A third of those that lost population were located in New York and California. The three largest cities in the United States, namely New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, all reported negative population growth rates for 2023.
Between these three metropolitan giants, a staggering 700,000 people have left since the 2020 census. New York City stands out as the most significant loser in terms of population, having lost approximately 546,000 residents since 2020, which translates to about 6.2% of its total population at that time.
Conversely, Texas emerged as the leading state with respect to cities experiencing growth, boasting fourteen cities with more than 200,000 residents. Several of Texas’ suburban areas, such as Frisco, Round Rock, and Denton, experienced phenomenal population growth rates of up to 5% in just one year. The state’s five largest cities – Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin – all reported positive population growth numbers, although it is worth noting that except for Fort Worth, their growth rates were significantly below the state average.
San Antonio and Fort Worth experienced the most significant influx of new residents among all U.S. cities in 2023, with just under 22,000 people each choosing to call these cities home. Florida is another state that has seen considerable population growth, hosting nine cities with over 200,000 residents. Each of these cities experienced growth rates approximately three times the national average.
The largest city in Florida, Jacksonville, is projected to become the first city in the state to surpass a million residents by the end of this decade. The data for individual cities in Florida can be somewhat misleading due to the presence of many medium-sized cities along the Atlantic coast, resulting in almost a nonstop chain of urban centers from one city to another.
Cities in the Carolinas have also shown impressive growth rates, with Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest city, reporting an increase of 1.74. Several suburbs of Las Vegas experienced significant population growth as well last year.
The trends observed in these Census estimates for 2023 seem to confirm that Americans are increasingly choosing to distance themselves from the supposed utopia of densely populated urban living environments promoted by many urban “planners.” Despite frequent assertions from the latest generation of “urbanists” about Americans’ purported desire for walkable, transit-dominated cityscapes, the fact that over 90% of the population has made different choices suggests otherwise. It is essential to take these preferences into account when planning and investing in public infrastructure.