People are seeking lower prices, more square footage, improved neighborhoods, or simply a fresh start — and the numbers aren’t a joke. Some of these cities are losing thousands of residents each year, despite decades of steady growth. Take San Francisco, California, for example. The population of the city, as of early this year, stands at around 842,000, which is down by over 31,000 individuals compared to early 2020, according to data from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Here are the towns where the moving trucks seem to be rolling away more often than arriving.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco continues to lose its residents. Between January 2024 and January 2025, it lost around 3,300 residents, leaving it with a population of approximately 842,000.
Why are people leaving? Housing costs are out of sight, property taxes and living costs are gigantic burdens. Remote work and pandemic-driven shifts prompted many to relocate, especially to more affordable areas. Domestic out-migration (people moving to other places within the U.S.) is a key factor; overseas migration has helped, but it hasn’t fully offset the losses.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago has been on a steady decline. In 1920, Chicago boasted a population of 2.7 million—an increase of more than 516,000 over the previous decade. A century later, the city’s population stands at 2.66 million, down by 128,034 after nine consecutive years of decline.
Top reasons: Residents often cite high taxes, crime issues, and a desire for more affordable housing in surrounding suburbs as their primary reasons for leaving. The loss has not been sudden but gradual, which makes it all the more worrisome for city leaders. Many families simply think their own long-term prospects are better in neighboring states like Indiana or Wisconsin.
New York City, New York
New York City experienced a noticeable decline in population during the pandemic’s worst phase and has continued to struggle with ongoing issues. Between April 2020 and July 2022, NYC lost around 468,000 individuals — a drop of about 5.3%.
Contributing factors include people moving to cheaper states, such as the Sun Belt, domestic outflow, exorbitant cost of living (particularly housing), and some work-from-home shifts, making extended commutes or high rents unacceptable.
However, a modest rebound has occurred: from mid-2023 to mid-2024, the population grew by approximately 87,000, partly driven by international migration. But for now, domestic out-migration continues to outweigh the boost from international arrivals.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia has been experiencing a steady decline since 2020. Between April 2020 and July 2023, the city lost an estimated 53,000 residents, representing a 3.3% drop, according to AP News. Some moved to the suburbs, while others relocated to states with lower taxes and more affordable housing.
Remote work was also a factor, giving experts the autonomy to relocate elsewhere. For a city that had previously had affordable row houses and tight-knit communities, the change was hard to ignore.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit has long struggled with population decline, and 2025 is no exception. Previously having nearly 1.85 million residents in 1950, the city now has fewer than 650,000 residents.
Job loss in the auto industry, years of disinvestment, and old housing stock continue to drive the slump. Revitalization is underway, but growth is limited to a few downtown neighborhoods. Many long-time residents feel that they are not seeing enough opportunities to stay.
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore is one of the East Coast’s metropolitan areas that has been experiencing a steady decline in population year by year. Its population has dropped from 620,961 in 2010 to 565,239 in 2023—a decline of roughly 9%.
This trend is a much slower route: the city’s population reached its peak in 1950, at nearly 950,000 citizens, making it the sixth-largest city in the country. Ever since, Baltimore has lost more than 40% of its people.
Pivotal reasons: Rising crime levels, tilted public services, and school system issues are fueling the exodus. Most residents commute to surrounding Maryland counties or even into Pennsylvania. City leaders are attempting to attract more young residents, but the outflow still exceeds the inflow.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis has experienced a gradual but persistent decline in population for decades, and this trend is expected to continue in 2025. The World Population Review states that the city’s population is approximately 269,259, down from over 850,000 in 1950, representing a decline of nearly 65% in seventy years. Between 2020 and 2024 alone, the city lost about 21,700 residents, the sharpest drop among large American cities.
Affordable housing isn’t the problem. It’s jobs, public safety, and disinvestment in too many communities. Younger residents are disproportionately more likely to relocate to larger metropolitan areas, such as Nashville, Dallas, or Denver.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland’s demographic problems are inextricably linked to the city’s financial issues. Cleveland’s population, according to the World Population Review, stands at 356,556 as of 2025, a decline of about 4.1% from 371,806 in 2020. At its peak in the 1950s, the city boasted over 900,000 residents, placing it among the largest cities in America at that time.
Between 2020 and 2023, the population continued to decline further, as factory jobs disappeared and housing markets in warmer states became more appealing. Out-migration has been challenging to slow down, despite efforts to attract healthcare and tech jobs. More favorable opportunities lie for many families in nearby Columbus or even farther south.
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio’s population story is one the Rust Belt is used to hearing— booming in its heyday, only gradually declining as factories closed and opportunities dried up. Since 1930, the city has lost over 65% of its population, with the steepest decline occurring between 2000 and 2020, during which the population dropped by 27.6%. Youngstown also lost another 109 citizens between 2022 and 2023, according to Biggest US Cities data.
The causes run deep: collapse of the steel economy, mass outmigration following factory shutdowns and economic decline, a low-birth-rate, aging population, and persistently high poverty, with more than 35% of residents in poverty. In a surprising twist, while the city itself continues to lose ground, the broader metro area has seen a modest gain, reaching 354,000 in 2025 —a slight 0.28% increase over the prior year.
Key takeaways
High real estate costs, crime problems, and the magnetism of cheaper, sunnier states are pushing people out of San Francisco, Chicago, and New York.
Rust Belt cities, such as Detroit, Cleveland, and Youngstown, have experienced multi-decade declines alongside the loss of industry and diminished economic opportunities.
Although some returns to certain places occur due to international migration, the trend generally demonstrates that many Americans are leaving, seeking other locations where life appears to be more affordable and sustainable.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
16 grocery staples to stock up on before prices spike again
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
I was in the grocery store the other day, and it hit me—I’m buying the same things I always do, but my bill just keeps getting higher. Like, I swear I just blinked, and suddenly eggs are a luxury item. What’s going on?
Inflation, supply-chain delays, and erratic weather conditions have modestly (or, let’s face it, dramatically) pushed the prices of staples ever higher. The USDA reports that food prices climbed an additional 2.9% year over year in May 2025—and that’s after the inflation storm of 2022–2023.
So, if you’ve got room in a pantry, freezer, or even a couple of extra shelves, now might be a good moment to stock up on these staple groceries—before the prices rise later.
6 gas station chains with food so good it’s worth driving out of your way for
6 Gas Station Chains With Food So Good It’s Worth Driving Out Of Your Way For
We scoured the Internet to see what people had to say about gas station food. If you think the only things available are wrinkled hot dogs of indeterminate age and day-glow slushies, we’ve got great, tasty news for you. Whether it becomes part of a routine or your only resource on a long car trip, we have the food information you need.
Let’s look at six gas stations that folks can’t get enough of and see what they have for you to eat.
