Philadelphia's population dips while the suburbs see growth
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The Philadelphia metro's population increased by nearly 4,200 residents between 2020 and 2023, according to federal estimates.
Why it matters: The latest U.S. Census Bureau data released last week gives a demographic snapshot of the region.
Zoom in: Philly proper's population went in the opposite direction during the first three years of the pandemic, shedding more than 50,000 people, per census data.
- Between July 2022 and July 2023, more than 16,000 people moved out of the city, about 1 percent of the total 1.5 million remaining residents.
Meanwhile, between 2022 and 2023, the region gained more than 3,400 residents during that same stretch.
Flashback: Philadelphia last saw three years of population decline between 2004 and 2006, Katie Martin of the Pew Charitable Trusts told the Inquirer.
The caveat: Experts cautioned about putting too much stock into the estimates, saying they do not necessarily predict future population growth or decline.
- Martin said international migration of people largely fueled Philly's growth over the last 15 years, but that has slowed since the pandemic.