List of shrinking cities in the United States

The following municipalities in the United States have lost at least 20% of their population, from a peak of over 100,000, since 1950. In all but a few cases, the surrounding metropolitan areas and urban areas (including the shrinking metropolitan areas) have increased in population.

A city's loss in population is not always permanent. In particular, in 2014 it was noted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments that the population of Washington, D.C. could approach 900,000 by 2040.^[1]

Geography

A patchwork of cities across the northern United States, because of their vibrant industrial economies, were referred to collectively as "the Foundry of the Nation".^[2] These are also referred to as the Manufacturing Belt or the Factory Belt. This includes most of the cities of the Midwest out to the Mississippi River, and many of those in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states, particularly those away from the Eastern Seaboard. After World War II, the cities in the area among the nation's 100 largest in the middle-20th century had population that had fallen most by the century's end.^[3]

At the center lies an area stretching from northern Indiana and southern Michigan in the west to Upstate New York in the east, where local tax revenues still rely more heavily on manufacturing than on any other sector (by far the largest contiguous area of the U.S. where this is the case).^[4]

Shrinking cities

City	1950 population	Peak population	Peak population year	2010 population	Decline from peak	% decline from peak
Akron, Ohio	7005274605000000000♠274,605	7005290351000000000♠290,351	1960	7005199110000000000♠199,110	7004912410000000000♠91,241	7001345000000000000♠34.5%
Albany, New York	7005134995000000000♠134,995	7005134995000000000♠134,995	1950	7004978560000000000♠97,856	7004371390000000000♠37,139	7001275000000000000♠27.5%
Baltimore, Maryland	7005949708000000000♠949,708	7005949708000000000♠949,708	1950	7005620961000000000♠620,961	7005328747000000000♠328,747	7001346000000000000♠34.6%
Birmingham, Alabama	7005326037000000000♠326,037	7005340887000000000♠340,887	1960	7005212237000000000♠212,237	7005128650000000000♠128,650	7001377000000000000♠37.7%
Boston, Massachusetts	7005801444000000000♠801,444	7005801444000000000♠801,444	1950	7005617594000000000♠617,594	7005183850000000000♠183,850	7001229000000000000♠22.9%
Buffalo, New York	7005580132000000000♠580,132	7005580132000000000♠580,132	1950	7005270240000000000♠270,240	7005309892000000000♠309,892	7001534000000000000♠53.4%
Camden, New Jersey	7005124555000000000♠124,555	7005124555000000000♠124,555	1950	7004773440000000000♠77,344	7004472110000000000♠47,211	7001379000000000000♠37.9%
Canton, Ohio	7005116912000000000♠116,912	7005116912000000000♠116,912	1950	7004730070000000000♠73,007	7004439050000000000♠43,905	7001376000000000000♠37.6%
Chicago, Illinois	7006362096200000000♠3,620,962	7006362096200000000♠3,620,962	1950	7006269559800000000♠2,695,598	7005925364000000000♠925,364	7001256000000000000♠25.6%
Cincinnati, Ohio	7005503998000000000♠503,998	7005503998000000000♠503,998	1950	7005296943000000000♠296,943	7005207055000000000♠207,055	7001411000000000000♠41.1%
Cleveland, Ohio	7005914808000000000♠914,808	7005914808000000000♠914,808	1950	7005396815000000000♠396,815	7005517993000000000♠517,993	7001566000000000000♠56.6%
Dayton, Ohio	7005243872000000000♠243,872	7005262332000000000♠262,332	1960	7005141527000000000♠141,527	7005120805000000000♠120,805	7001461000000000000♠46.1%
Detroit, Michigan	7006184956800000000♠1,849,568	7006184956800000000♠1,849,568	1950	7005713777000000000♠713,777	7006113579100000000♠1,135,791	7001614000000000000♠61.4%
Erie, Pennsylvania	7005130803000000000♠130,803	7005138440000000000♠138,440	1960	7005101786000000000♠101,786	7004366540000000000♠36,654	7001265000000000000♠26.5%
Flint, Michigan	7005163413000000000♠163,413	7005196940000000000♠196,940	1960	7005102434000000000♠102,434	7004945060000000000♠94,506	7001480000000000000♠48%
Gary, Indiana	7005133911000000000♠133,911	7005178320000000000♠178,320	1960	7004802940000000000♠80,294	7004980260000000000♠98,026	7001550000000000000♠55%
Hammond, Indiana	7004875950000000000♠87,595	7005111698000000000♠111,698	1960	7004808300000000000♠80,830	7004308680000000000♠30,868	7001276000000000000♠27.6%
Hartford, Connecticut	7005177397000000000♠177,397	7005177397000000000♠177,397	1950	7005124060000000000♠124,060	7004533370000000000♠53,337	7001301000000000000♠30.1%
Jersey City, New Jersey	7005299017000000000♠299,017	7005316715000000000♠316,715	1930	7005247597000000000♠247,597	7004691180000000000♠69,118	7001218000000000000♠21.8%
Minneapolis, Minnesota	7005521718000000000♠521,718	7005521718000000000♠521,718	1950	7005382578000000000♠382,578	7005139140000000000♠139,140	7001267000000000000♠26.7%
Newark, New Jersey	7005438776000000000♠438,776	7005442337000000000♠442,337	1930	7005277140000000000♠277,140	7005165197000000000♠165,197	7001373009999900000♠37.3%
New Haven, Connecticut	7005164443000000000♠164,443	7005164443000000000♠164,443	1950	7005129779000000000♠129,779	7004346640000000000♠34,664	7001211000000000000♠21.1%
New Orleans, Louisiana**	7005570445000000000♠570,445	7005627525000000000♠627,525	1960	7005384320000000000♠384,320	7005243205000000000♠243,205	7001388009999900000♠38.8%
Niagara Falls, New York	7004908720000000000♠90,872	7005102394000000000♠102,394	1960	7004501940000000000♠50,194	7004522000000000000♠52,200	7001510000000000000♠51%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	7006207160500000000♠2,071,605	7006207160500000000♠2,071,605	1950	7006152600600000000♠1,526,006	7005545599000000000♠545,599	7001263000000000000♠26.3%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	7005676806000000000♠676,806	7005676806000000000♠676,806	1950	7005305704000000000♠305,704	7005371102000000000♠371,102	7001548000000000000♠54.8%
Providence, Rhode Island	7005248674000000000♠248,674	7005253504000000000♠253,504	1940	7005178042000000000♠178,042	7004749390000000000♠74,939	7001296000000000000♠29.6%
Reading, Pennsylvania	7005109320000000000♠109,320	7005111171000000000♠111,171	1930	7004880820000000000♠88,082	7004230890000000000♠23,089	7001208000000000000♠20.8%
Rochester, New York	7005332488000000000♠332,488	7005332488000000000♠332,488	1950	7005210565000000000♠210,565	7005121923000000000♠121,923	7001367000000000000♠36.7%
Scranton, Pennsylvania	7005125536000000000♠125,536	7005143333000000000♠143,333	1930	7004760890000000000♠76,089	7004672440000000000♠67,244	7001469000000000000♠46.9%
Somerville, Massachusetts	7005102351000000000♠102,351	7005103908000000000♠103,908	1930	7004757540000000000♠75,754	7004281540000000000♠28,154	7001271000000000000♠27.1%
South Bend, Indiana	7005115911000000000♠115,911	7005132445000000000♠132,445	1960	7005101168000000000♠101,168	7004312770000000000♠31,277	7001236000000000000♠23.6%
St. Louis, Missouri	7005856796000000000♠856,796	7005856796000000000♠856,796	1950	7005319294000000000♠319,294	7005537502000000000♠537,502	7001627000000000000♠62.7%
Syracuse, New York	7005220583000000000♠220,583	7005220583000000000♠220,583	1950	7005145170000000000♠145,170	7004754130000000000♠75,413	7001342000000000000♠34.2%
Toledo, Ohio	7005303616000000000♠303,616	7005383818000000000♠383,818	1970	7005287208000000000♠287,208	7004966100000000000♠96,610	7001252000000000000♠25.2%
Trenton, New Jersey	7005128009000000000♠128,009	7005128009000000000♠128,009	1950	7004849130000000000♠84,913	7004430960000000000♠43,096	7001337000000000000♠33.7%
Utica, New York	7005100489000000000♠100,489	7005101740000000000♠101,740	1930	7004622350000000000♠62,235	7004395050000000000♠39,505	7001388009999900000♠38.8%
Washington, D.C.	7005802178000000000♠802,178	7005802178000000000♠802,178	1950	7005601723000000000♠601,723	7005200455000000000♠200,455	7001250000000000000♠25%
Wilmington, Delaware	7005110356000000000♠110,356	7005112504000000000♠112,504	1940	7004708510000000000♠70,851	7004416530000000000♠41,653	7001370000000000000♠37%
Youngstown, Ohio	7005168330000000000♠168,330	7005170002000000000♠170,002	1930	7004669820000000000♠66,982	7005103020000000000♠103,020	7001606000000000000♠60.6%

Note: ** New Orleans' population is registering large increases post-Hurricane Katrina.
* Chicago registered 3 decades of population declines (1950 thru 1980) before growing again.

References

↑ Malouff, Dan (April 17, 2014). "By 2040, DC's population could be close to 900,000". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
↑ "Sun On The Snow Belt (editorial)". Chicago Tribune. August 25, 1985. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
↑ Hansen, Jeff; et al. (March 10, 2007). "Which Way Forward?". The Birmingham News. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
↑ "Rural Classifications: 2004 County Typology Codes". USDA Economic Research Service. Retrieved October 7, 2015.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[DCGrowth-1] Malouff, Dan (April 17, 2014). "By 2040, DC's population could be close to 900,000". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved June 16, 2016.

[2] "Sun On The Snow Belt (editorial)". Chicago Tribune. August 25, 1985. Retrieved October 7, 2015.

[3] Hansen, Jeff; et al. (March 10, 2007). "Which Way Forward?". The Birmingham News. Retrieved October 7, 2015.

[4] "Rural Classifications: 2004 County Typology Codes". USDA Economic Research Service. Retrieved October 7, 2015.

List of shrinking cities in the United States

Geography

Shrinking cities

See also

References