Population declined the most in these US cities

Declines in a community's population can result in a decreased demand for businesses, housing, and services. This could potentially lead to higher per capita costs among the remaining tax base for maintaining infrastructure and even the closure of local amenities. Additionally, an aging or shrinking population can affect the local job market and culture, among other things.

Keeping this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 610 cities across the U.S. based on the one-year decline in population, drawing on recent Census Bureau estimates. Five-year declines were also analyzed, along with changes in the working-age population to understand broader trends.

Key Findings

• The population declined by more than 10% in one year in this city. Spring Valley, NV saw the largest one-year decline at 10.14%. The total population decreased from 220,707 in 2022 to 198,326 in 2023. The relative size of the working age population remained stable at around 51% each year.
• Over five years, this city lost more than one quarter of its population. Paradise, NV saw the largest five-year decline in population at -26.77%. It lost nearly 65,000 residents between 2018 and 2023, going from 242,266 to 177,413. For one-year loss, it ranked 17th, indicating a continued trend as of the most recent data.
• Two Texas cities saw steep declines in the working age population. Despite a steady increase in total population over the last five years, Forth Worth, TX lost 47,312 working age residents from 2018 to 2023. And New Braunfels, TX – which ranked second overall for one-year population decline with a loss of 12.49% of its total population, and had a five-year loss of 29.68% – saw a 6.8 point decline in its relative population of workers during those five years after losing 19,398 people between age 20 and 54.

Top 10 Cities With the Largest One-Year Population Decline

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1. Spring Valley, Nevada

• One-year change in total population: -10.14%
• Five-year change in total population: -7.39%
• Total population, 2023: 198,326
• Total population, 2022: 220,707
• Total population, 2018: 214,161
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -10.21%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 101,553
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 51.21%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 113,105
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 51.25%

2. Town 'n' Country, Florida

• One-year change in total population: -9.77%
• Five-year change in total population: -4.36%
• Total population, 2023: 78,974
• Total population, 2022: 87,521
• Total population, 2018: 82,577
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -9.44%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 41,641
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 52.73%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 45,983
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 52.54%

3. Kendall, Florida

• One-year change in total population: -9.32%
• Five-year change in total population: -3.44%
• Total population, 2023: 73,368
• Total population, 2022: 80,912
• Total population, 2018: 75,979
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -5.73%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 31,099
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 42.39%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 32,988
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 40.77%

4. Carmichael, California

• One-year change in total population: -7.82%
• Five-year change in total population: 15.90%
• Total population, 2023: 75,718
• Total population, 2022: 82,145
• Total population, 2018: 65,328
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -12.94%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 32,764
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 43.27%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 37,634
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 45.81%

5. Brandon, Florida

• One-year change in total population: -7.80%
• Five-year change in total population: -2.52%
• Total population, 2023: 116,754
• Total population, 2022: 126,628
• Total population, 2018: 119,778
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -13.67%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 56,138
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 48.08%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 65,028
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 51.35%

6. Lafayette, Indiana

• One-year change in total population: -6.80%
• Five-year change in total population: -6.89%
• Total population, 2023: 67,406
• Total population, 2022: 72,326
• Total population, 2018: 72,393
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -9.86%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 33,994
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 50.43%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 37,712
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 52.14%

7. Casas Adobes, Arizona

• One-year change in total population: -6.45%
• Five-year change in total population: -6.68%
• Total population, 2023: 70,641
• Total population, 2022: 75,513
• Total population, 2018: 75,694
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -3.83%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 30,450
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 43.11%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 31,664
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 41.93%

8. Metairie, Louisiana

• One-year change in total population: -5.62%
• Five-year change in total population: -3.20%
• Total population, 2023: 136,597
• Total population, 2022: 144,729
• Total population, 2018: 141,114
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -6.88%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 58,233
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 42.63%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 62,535
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 43.21%

9. Decatur, Illinois

• One-year change in total population: -5.40%
• Five-year change in total population: -7.33%
• Total population, 2023: 66,594
• Total population, 2022: 70,396
• Total population, 2018: 71,860
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -2.17%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 28,489
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 42.78%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 29,121
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 41.37%

10. East Los Angeles, California

• One-year change in total population: -5.37%
• Five-year change in total population: -9.37%
• Total population, 2023: 106,903
• Total population, 2022: 112,965
• Total population, 2018: 117,961
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -9.20%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 53,085
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 49.66%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 58,463
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 51.75%

Top 10 Cities With the Largest Five-Year Population Decline

1. Paradise, Nevada

• Five-year change in total population: -26.77%
• One-year change in total population: -3.22%
• Total population, 2023: 177,413
• Total population, 2022: 183,321
• Total population, 2018: 242,266
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -4.77%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 90,712
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 51.13%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 95,254
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 51.96%

2. Flint, Michigan

• Five-year change in total population: -16.97%
• One-year change in total population: -0.26%
• Total population, 2023: 79,654
• Total population, 2022: 79,865
• Total population, 2018: 95,932
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: 4.63%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 36,642
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 46%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 35,022
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 43.85%

3. Arden-Arcade, California

• Five-year change in total population: -15.72%
• One-year change in total population: -5.21%
• Total population, 2023: 90,934
• Total population, 2022: 95,936
• Total population, 2018: 107,894
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -5.09%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 44,761
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 49.22%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 47,164
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 49.16%

4. Bloomington, Indiana

• Five-year change in total population: -14.44%
• One-year change in total population: -4.30%
• Total population, 2023: 74,028
• Total population, 2022: 77,358
• Total population, 2018: 86,522
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -4.17%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 42,769
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 57.77%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 44,632
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 57.70%

5. Miami Beach, Florida

• Five-year change in total population: -13.19%
• One-year change in total population: -0.51%
• Total population, 2023: 79,616
• Total population, 2022: 80,027
• Total population, 2018: 91,715
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -12.48%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 36,656
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 46.04%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 41,885
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 52.34%

6. Aurora, Illinois

• Five-year change in total population: -13.10%
• One-year change in total population: -1.63%
• Total population, 2023: 179,355
• Total population, 2022: 182,336
• Total population, 2018: 206,389
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -2.68%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 89,235
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 49.75%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 91,689
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 50.29%

7. Jackson, Mississippi

• Five-year change in total population: -12.80%
• One-year change in total population: -1.63%
• Total population, 2023: 143,633
• Total population, 2022: 146,019
• Total population, 2018: 164,720
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -2.30%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 66,858
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 46.55%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 68,434
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 46.87%

8. Union City, California

• Five-year change in total population: -12.27%
• One-year change in total population: -2.44%
• Total population, 2023: 65,416
• Total population, 2022: 67,049
• Total population, 2018: 74,568
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: -7.04%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 30,853
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 47.16%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 33,189
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 49.50%

9. Pine Hills, Florida

• Five-year change in total population: -11.99%
• One-year change in total population: 9.66%
• Total population, 2023: 79,274
• Total population, 2022: 72,291
• Total population, 2018: 90,070
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: 7.67%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 35,932
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 45.33%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 33,372
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 46.16%

10. El Monte, California

• Five-year change in total population: -10.22%
• One-year change in total population: -1.45%
• Total population, 2023: 103,782
• Total population, 2022: 105,307
• Total population, 2018: 115,602
• One-year change in the number of working-age residents: 0.03%
• Number of working-age residents, 2023: 48,130
• Percent of population of working age, 2023: 46.38%
• Number of working-age residents, 2022: 48,114
• Percent of population of working age, 2022: 45.69%

Data and Methodology

SmartAsset examined population estimates from the Census Bureau for 2023, 2022 and 2018 to determine one-year and five-year population changes for cities with populations of at least 65,000 in 2023 for which full data was available. Changes in the working age population were also examined, with working age defined as between ages 20 and 54.

This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.