Fastest Growing and Shrinking Cities in the US and Canada
Despite the fact that Canada's population is only 12% of the United States', the majority of the fastest-growing cities are found in the former. This is according to a map created by Kayla Zhu of Visual Capitalist, which illustrates the population changes in central cities (excluding suburbs) in Canada and the US in 2023.
The data used for this analysis was sourced from the Centre for Urban Research & Land Development at Toronto Metropolitan University. The Centre analyzed population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and Statistics Canada as of July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023.
Toronto: The Fastest-Growing City in Canada and the U.S.
The list of top cities in Canada and the U.S. in terms of population growth between July 2022 and July 2023 was dominated by Canadian cities. Eight out of the top 10 fastest-growing cities were in Canada, with only two U.S. cities, Fort Worth and San Antonio, making the cut.
Toronto experienced the most significant population increase, adding over 120,000 people to its population in 2023. This growth is primarily attributed to the large number of immigrants who choose to settle in Toronto. In 2021, approximately 30% of new immigrants to Canada chose to live in Toronto.
Toronto has been a popular destination for immigrants for a long time. In 2021, almost half (46.6%) of the population in the Toronto metropolitan area were immigrants, as reported by Statistics Canada.
Cities with the Largest Population Losses
When it comes to population loss, major U.S. cities like New York, Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia all saw significant decreases in 2023.
New York City lost over 70,000 people in 2023. While this was a decrease from the 126,000 people it lost in 2022, it was still the highest population loss of any city in Canada or the United States in that year.
The trend was similar across the state of New York, with approximately half a million people leaving in 2022, primarily due to the high cost of living, as reported by USA Today.
In contrast, no large central city in Canada experienced a net population loss in 2023.
It's important to note that this analysis only considers central cities and does not include surrounding suburbs in a metropolitan area. When considering metro area growth, Toronto and other Canadian cities still dominate, but cities like Orlando, Tampa, and Atlanta also appear in the bottom half of the top 10.
For more information on the most expensive places to live in the U.S., check out this graphic on which states have the highest cost of living.
Bottom Line
The population trends in the US and Canada present a fascinating study of urban growth and decline. The dominance of Canadian cities in terms of growth, and the contrasting population losses in major US cities, raise interesting questions about the factors influencing these trends. What are your thoughts on these population shifts? Do share this article with your friends and engage in the discussion. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.
Fastest Growing and Shrinking Cities in the US and Canada
Despite the fact that Canada's population is only 12% of the United States', the majority of the fastest-growing cities are found in the former. This is according to a map created by Kayla Zhu of Visual Capitalist, which illustrates the population changes in central cities (excluding suburbs) in Canada and the US in 2023.
The data used for this analysis was sourced from the Centre for Urban Research & Land Development at Toronto Metropolitan University. The Centre analyzed population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and Statistics Canada as of July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023.
