The reasons people are moving have changed slightly. What once was a reason to buy a home has now shifted slightly toward the desire to be closer to family or for an easier work commute. But geographic mobility is still at a historic low in America. According to the United States Census Bureau, only 8.7% of the population moved to a new home in 2022, the second smallest share since record-keeping began in 1948, and only slightly higher than the all-time low of 8.4% reported in 2021. While over half of all movers in 2022 relocated to another place in the same county, there are parts of the country that Americans are leaving behind entirely. Moreover, they are leaving at much faster rates than average.
24/7 Wall St. identified the American cities people are leaving in droves by using metro area-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program. Metro areas were ranked based on the percentage change in population due to net migration from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. Data was aggregated from the county level to the metropolitan level using MSA definitions for July 2023 from the Census Bureau.
The group of people who moved out between July 2021 and June 2022 outnumbers those who moved in by anywhere from about 350 to nearly 222,900. In some cases, this amounted to a population decline of over 2% – not factoring in population change from births or deaths. It should be noted that in each of these metro areas, outbound migration was offset by an influx of international migrants. In nearly a dozen cities on this list, net migration from abroad contributed to an influx of well over 1,000 new residents. Without these new arrivals, population declines would have been far more pronounced. (Here is a look at the best U.S. cities for immigrants, according to data.)
Although numerous metro areas listed are spread throughout the country, there are quite a few clustered within a single state. California, for example, is home to 10 metro areas on this list, New York is home to eight, and Louisiana has six. Several of these cities include many of the largest – and most expensive – places in the country. Cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, have each lost about 1% or more of their population in the last year due to migration alone. (Here is a look at the 23 cities with the most expensive rent in America.)
Here are the American cities people are leaving in droves.
50. Springfield, IL
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.4% (-897)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,185
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +288
- Total population, 2022: 206,655
49. Champaign-Urbana, IL
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.4% (-1,029)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -2,939
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +1,910
- Total population, 2022: 236,514
48. Grand Forks, ND-MN
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.4% (-450)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -652
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +202
- Total population, 2022: 103,144
47. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.4% (-1,677)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -2,225
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +548
- Total population, 2022: 379,374
46. Hanford-Corcoran, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.4% (-674)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -780
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +106
- Total population, 2022: 152,981
45. Rochester, NY
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.4% (-4,703)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -6,882
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +2,179
- Total population, 2022: 1,056,701
44. Lima, OH
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.5% (-460)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -521
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +61
- Total population, 2022: 101,115
43. Peoria, IL
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.5% (-1,656)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -2,246
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +590
- Total population, 2022: 363,445
42. Charleston, WV
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.5% (-939)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,175
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +236
- Total population, 2022: 204,297
41. Kahului-Wailuku, HI
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.5% (-750)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,308
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +558
- Total population, 2022: 164,433
40. Elkhart-Goshen, IN
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.5% (-953)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,320
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +367
- Total population, 2022: 206,890
39. Vineland, NJ
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.5% (-727)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -995
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +268
- Total population, 2022: 151,356
38. Binghamton, NY
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.5% (-1,265)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,749
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +484
- Total population, 2022: 244,889
37. Kingston, NY
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.5% (-956)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,180
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +224
- Total population, 2022: 182,319
36. Syracuse, NY
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.6% (-3,800)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -5,252
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +1,452
- Total population, 2022: 653,633
35. Trenton-Princeton, NJ
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.6% (-2,283)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -4,374
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +2,091
- Total population, 2022: 380,688
34. Eagle Pass, TX
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.6% (-346)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -543
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +197
- Total population, 2022: 57,843
33. Vallejo, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.6% (-2,714)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -3,593
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +879
- Total population, 2022: 448,747
32. Sumter, SC
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.6% (-664)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -758
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +94
- Total population, 2022: 104,012
31. Modesto, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.6% (-3,501)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -4,386
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +885
- Total population, 2022: 551,275
30. Jackson, MS
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.6% (-3,907)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -4,319
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +412
- Total population, 2022: 610,904
29. Fayetteville, NC
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.6% (-2,506)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -3,492
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +986
- Total population, 2022: 390,486
28. El Centro, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.7% (-1,196)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,431
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +235
- Total population, 2022: 178,713
27. Odessa, TX
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.7% (-1,120)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -2,025
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +905
- Total population, 2022: 160,869
26. Monroe, LA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.7% (-1,663)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,829
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +166
- Total population, 2022: 222,695
25. St. Joseph, MO-KS
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.7% (-901)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,017
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +116
- Total population, 2022: 119,690
24. Columbus, GA-AL
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.8% (-2,602)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -3,188
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +586
- Total population, 2022: 324,110
23. Medford, OR
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.8% (-1,789)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,822
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +33
- Total population, 2022: 221,644
22. Laredo, TX
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.8% (-2,201)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -3,156
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +955
- Total population, 2022: 267,780
21. Fairbanks-College, AK
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.8% (-791)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -919
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +128
- Total population, 2022: 95,356
20. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -0.9% (-3,583)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -3,906
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +323
- Total population, 2022: 385,154
19. Decatur, IL
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.0% (-982)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,113
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +131
- Total population, 2022: 101,483
18. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.0% (-90,426)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -116,964
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +26,538
- Total population, 2022: 9,274,140
17. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.0% (-125,592)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -170,450
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +44,858
- Total population, 2022: 12,872,322
16. Alexandria, LA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.0% (-1,513)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,623
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +110
- Total population, 2022: 149,189
15. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.0% (-8,640)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -9,419
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +779
- Total population, 2022: 832,605
14. Urban Honolulu, HI
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.1% (-11,095)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -15,236
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +4,141
- Total population, 2022: 995,638
13. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.1% (-51,617)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -79,139
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +27,522
- Total population, 2022: 4,579,599
12. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.1% (-222,850)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -322,497
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +99,647
- Total population, 2022: 19,557,311
11. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.2% (-24,380)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -42,762
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +18,382
- Total population, 2022: 1,938,524
10. Ithaca, NY
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.3% (-1,328)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,829
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +501
- Total population, 2022: 104,777
9. Lake Charles, LA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.4% (-3,297)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -3,672
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +375
- Total population, 2022: 239,346
8. Napa, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.4% (-1,897)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -2,043
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +146
- Total population, 2022: 134,300
7. Elmira, NY
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.4% (-1,164)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,214
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +50
- Total population, 2022: 81,426
6. Minot, ND
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- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.4% (-1,103)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -1,188
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +85
- Total population, 2022: 76,279
5. Manhattan, KS
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.5% (-2,056)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -2,500
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +444
- Total population, 2022: 133,072
4. Salinas, CA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.6% (-7,147)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -7,894
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +747
- Total population, 2022: 432,858
3. Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -1.6% (-1,938)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -2,126
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +188
- Total population, 2022: 116,637
2. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -2.1% (-21,162)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -24,334
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +3,172
- Total population, 2022: 972,913
1. Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA
- Pop. change due to net migration, 2021 to 2022: -3.0% (-6,270)
- Net domestic migration, 2021 to 2022: -6,412
- Net international migration, 2021 to 2022: +142
- Total population, 2022: 200,656
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