New Orleans metro sees nation's largest population drop
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The New Orleans metro area is estimated to have seen the biggest population loss among those with at least 500,000 residents nationwide, the Census Bureau says.
Why it matters: The metro's 4.3% population loss in the past three years came as the nation's population increased by 1%, according to population estimates from the Census Bureau.
The big picture: Overall, the U.S. population growth was driven by states like Idaho, Florida and South Carolina.
- Meanwhile, Louisiana is among the states that had the most declines.
Zoom in: The Orleans Parish population dropped by nearly 5% between 2020 and 2023, according to the estimates.
- Cameron Parish, which was hit hard by Hurricane Laura a month after the 2020 estimates, had the biggest drop nationwide. The data estimates the parish saw a 15.21% drop by 2023.
- But some parishes did grow, including Tangipahoa (+3.3%), Ascension (+3.67%), West Baton Rouge (3.68%) and St. Tammany (+3.99%)
What she's saying: "Our recent policies are not supporting population gain," Data Center chief demographer Allison Plyer told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.
- At issue is a confluence of short- and long-term factors, like affordability, education opportunities, hurricanes and health outcomes.