People Are Putting The ‘big’ Back In Cities

Growth is finally back on the menu for the US’ largest cities after years of pandemic-induced pressures on their economies. According to census data released on Thursday, nearly all of the country’s largest urban centers showed population growth.

Reversing a trend: Pandemic deaths, falling birth rates, and a hankering for smaller-town living caused many big-city populations to shrink in the wake of Covid-19. So, what changed? Well, there are just more people overall now. The country’s nationwide population rose 1% from June 2023 to June 2024. That increase is “the highest we’ve seen in a generation,” according to Steven Martin, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute, who spoke to the Washington Post. He also said that immigration has been a major population driver.

The South’s got something to say

New York and Los Angeles experienced some of the biggest population increases from 2023 to 2024, but, for the most part, the compass arrow pointed south. Five of the 15 major cities with the most population growth were in Texas and Florida, with Fort Worth and Jacksonville joining the million-resident club. Texas also had the fastest-growing city in the US last year: Princeton, a Dallas suburb that saw its population jump more than 30% in one year. With all of this expansion, the Sun Belt might have to start poking new holes in itself.—BC