Nearly half of the 20 American cities losing the most residents are located in California, according to a Nov. 2 analysis from SmartAsset.
The financial technology company examined data from the Census Bureau's one-year American Community Surveys for 2022 and 2017 to determine cities' population changes and housing vacancy rates during that five-year time frame. Their study included 343 U.S. cities with a population of 100,000 or more.
These 20 cities saw the largest five-year population declines, according to SmartAsset:
1. Paradise, Nev. — 21% population decrease
2. Jackson, Miss. — 10.4%
3. Aurora, Ill. — 9.4%
4. Highlands Ranch, Colo. — 8.4%
5. Hialeah, Fla. — 8%
6. El Monte, Calif. — 7.9%
7 (tie). San Francisco – 7.8%
7 (tie). East Los Angeles — 7.8%
9. Birmingham, Ala. — 7.7%
10. Santa Ana, Calif. — 7.4%
11. Detroit — 6%
12. Baltimore — 5.7%
13. Beaumont, Texas — 5.5%
14. Glendale, Calif. — 5.3%
15. Miami — 5.1%
16 (tie). San Jose, Calif. — 5%
16 (tie). St. Louis — 5%
18. Inglewood, Calif. — 4.9%
19 (tie). Pasadena, Calif. — 4.8%
19 (tie). Corona, Calif. — 4.8%