12 major American cities that are shrinking
AIMEE PICCHI MONEYWATCH June 22, 2017, 5:30 AM
12 major American cities that are shrinking
1. St. Louis, Missouri (-1.1 percent)
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St. Louis saw its metropolitan population decline by 1.1 percent to 2.8 million residents, making it the city that suffered the steepest dip last year.
St. Louis was memorably badmouthed by E. Stanley Kroenke when he decided to move the National Football League's Rams to Los Angeles. In a statement explaining the decision, the team owner noted, "Compared to all other cities, St. Louis is struggling."
About one out of four residents live in poverty, according to the Census. Median household income is less than $36,000, or well below the national figure.
2. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Maryland (-1.1 percent)
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- The Baltimore metropolitan area declined 1.1 percent to 2.8 million. The core city's population shrank to a 100-year low, reversing a push from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to attract 10,000 new families to Baltimore.
- Some residents are moving amid a rising crime rate and budget issues. Black families deciding to move away, rather than white flight, is a major cause of the population decline, according to the Baltimore Sun.
3. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin (-0.7 percent)
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The population of the Milwaukee metropolitan region has declined 0.7 percent to 1.6 million residents.
While Milwaukee is losing residents, another Wisconsin city is growing. Madison, home to University of Wisconsin, is attracting new residents.
The dynamics may reflect the countrywide shift away from manufacturing bases in favor of cities that focus on services, such as education and health care.
4. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, N.Y. (-0.6 percent)
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Buffalo's metropolitan area declined 0.6 percent to 1.13 million residents. The city has a relatively high unemployment rate, while about one out of six people there live in poverty.
Like other Rust Belt cities, the latest numbers reflect the continuation of a decades-long trend. A few bright points are emerging, however, such as a $900 million factory to make solar tiles for Tesla (TSLA) and Panasonic, which is expected to create 500 manufacturing jobs.
5. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan (-0.5 percent)
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Detroit's metropolitan area has shed 0.5 percent of its population, declining to 4.3 million residents.
Aside from the tough winters that many Rust Belt cities suffer through, Detroit has had its own set of problems to weather. Its bankruptcy made Detroit into a cautionary tale for former manufacturing cities.
The city, whose population peaked in 1950, has emerged from bankruptcy with some signs of new life.
Detroit now ranks 30th on the Kauffman Innovation Index, which measures the rate of new entrepreneurs and startups, compared with 35th in 2015. LinkedIn last year cited Detroit as one of the top cities for millennial job seekers.
6. Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio (-0.5 percent)
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The Cleveland metropolitan area lost 0.5 percent of its residents last year, dipping to 2.06 million residents.
One bright spot: The population losses are slowing after steeper declines from 2000 to 2010.
"Cleveland may be about half as big, population-wise, as it was in 1970, but in inflation-adjusted dollars the cost of running the city is about the same," noted former Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial director Brent Larkin in the publication.
7. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut (-0.5 percent)
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- The Hartford, Connecticut, region saw its population shrink by 0.5 percent to 1.2 million people last year.
- The reason? It's both cultural and economic, according to the National Review. Fiscal problems at the state level aren't helping, while crime and the cost of living are headaches for residents. Hartford was ranked as one of the 50 worst cities in the country by 24/7 Wall St., which examined crime, educational attainment, employment growth and other issues.
8. Rochester, New York (-0.4 percent)
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A onetime industrial powerhouse, Rochester has suffered a long-term population decline, not unlike other Rust Belt cities. It fell out of the top 100 largest American cities by population in 2014.
Last year, Rochester's metropolitan area declined 0.4 percent to 1.08 million residents.
9. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (-0.3 percent)
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The population in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metropolitan area declined 0.3 percent to 9.5 million people. The city's shrinking population reflects a loss that's hurting the entire state of Illinois, however.
The city's population is likely to keep declining over the next few years, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Residents complain about high taxes, the financial stresses on the state, the crime rate and harsh weather.
10. Memphis, Tennessee (-0.3 percent)
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Memphis is the other Southern city that's losing population. The metropolitan area declined 0.3 percent to 1.3 million residents.
The state's changing dynamics mean Nashville now ranks as the Tennessee's biggest city.
Memphis' population loss is a "cause for concern," according to the Memphis Daily News. A large geographic area, limited public transportation and high poverty levels are among the headwinds facing the city, it added.
11. Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama (-0.2 percent)
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The Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan region is one of just two Southern cities that saw population loss last year, declining 0.2 percent to 1.15 million residents.
One reason for the decline could be "fragmentation of government," according to the Alabama Media Group, which publishes The Birmingham News. One researcher told the publication the city has "arguable the most fragmented community in the Southeast because we developed in this fragmented pattern."
Even though the city may be shedding residents, the Southeast region's population grew last year by 0.2 percent, the Census said.
12. Pittsburgh (-0.1 percent)
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Pittsburgh may be a rare success story among Rust Belt towns, but the former Steel City isn't immune from population loss -- even as it has transformed from a one-time industrial titan into a city buoyed by technology and health care.
As the home of Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh, the city is attracting companies like Google (GOOG) that are eager to hire young graduates. Housing that has remained affordable is another plus, but the city's growth has partly been stymied by high taxes, which may be pushing some residents into the suburbs or to consider other cities.
Pittsburgh's metropolitan area declined 0.1 percent last year to 2.34 million residents. The region had 2.65 million residents in 1980.
