The pandemic-era exodus from America’s largest cities to lesser populated areas is showing signs of reversal, according to data recently released by the US Census Bureau. The Bureau’s data indicates that the majority of the 20 largest US metro areas saw population growth in 2022. Leading the charge was Dallas-Fort Worth, which saw an increase of 170,000 residents in comparison to 2021. Houston added more than 124,000 new residents and Phoenix saw an additional 73,000 people move in. However, data showed that there were some cities that lost population growth – most notably, Boise Idaho and Provo in Utah. Both were popular destinations in 2021 for residents fleeing the West Coast. But cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Nashville, Boston, New York City, San Jose, Dallas, and Milwaukee reversed course, recording population growth in 2022.
The data indicated that all but one of the top 10 largest cities in America saw an increase in population. Philadelphia was the only city that experienced a decline. Around half of mid-sized cities saw an uptick in their population numbers over the period, with small towns experiencing uneven growth. New York City remained the most populated city in the country, despite experiencing a recent decline. With a population of 8.3 million inhabitants, it is more than twice the size of the next largest city, Los Angeles. Meanwhile, San Francisco, Seattle, Nashville, Boston, New York City, San Jose, Dallas and Milwaukee recorded the largest turnarounds.
Texan city, Georgetown, retained its status as the nation’s fastest-growing city by percent change in 2022, with six of the nine fastest-growing southern cities located in the state. Data showed that population trends are driven by migration, including those within the country and those from abroad. As the pandemic wanes with the easing of restrictions, the fear of the virus has receded dramatically. However, Dr. Celine Gounder, an epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist and editor-at-large for public health at the Kaiser Family Foundation warned that the risk of contracting the virus remains real, and people should still practice precautions like masking and getting vaccinated.
On the national level, the expiry of the federal public health emergency on May 11 marks a significant turning point in the US’ fight against Covid-19. However, it also signifies the beginning of a reduction in national emergency support across the country, with Congress reducing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) emergency allotments in February. Additionally, President Joe Biden signed a congressional resolution in early April to end the concurrent national emergency that was originally slated to expire with the national public health emergency.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently decided to lift its Covid-19 emergency and issued a warning to countries against complacency. As data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates, the US is now averaging about 150 deaths a day and approximately 1375 hospitalizations a week. These are down from the most recent peak of 2,500 deaths a day and 21,525 hospitalizations per week recorded in early 2022.
All in all, the population growth numbers in cities across the US may be a sign that the pandemic-era exodus may not be permanent. However, there are still concerns around the emergence of new virus variants and the prevalence of new infections. These serve as a reminder that vaccination and cautionary measures remain crucial to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the population.
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