Metro Area Population Surge in 2024 Driven by International Migration

Urban areas in the United States experienced year-over-year expansion that surpasses the national rate, largely supported by international factors. migration to those regions of the nation.

Following declines in population within various urban centers during the early part of the current decade due to the pandemic, 2024 proved beneficial for the inhabitants of these heavily populated regions. According to Census Bureau data, there has been significant growth. released On Thursday, it was revealed that all 387 metropolitan areas across the country experienced positive net international migration between 2023 and 2024.

Overall, the population increased in approximately 90% of the metropolitan areas nationwide year over year, with 341 out of 387 areas experiencing growth, as opposed to just 317 metropolitan areas showing an increase from 2022 to 2023.

Population expansion in urban regions is increasingly driven by immigration from abroad," stated Kristie Wilder, a demographer at the Census Bureau’s Population Division. "Even though births still play a role in total growth, an uptick in positive net international migration is compensating for the significant number of residents moving away within the country that we observe in numerous metropolitan zones.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan area was a region that saw a decline in population during the pandemic but has subsequently rebounded with an increase in residents. This trend includes Washington, D.C., surpassed For the first time since 2019, the population reached 700,000 people in 2024.

The southern states such as Florida, Texas, Alabama, and South Carolina witnessed some of the most rapid expansion in their urban centers. These regions accounted for nine out of the ten metropolitan areas experiencing the highest percentage increase from 2023 to 2024.

DC'S POPULATION EXCEEDS 700,000 MARK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HALF A DECADE: CENSUS BUREAU

The quickest-expanding metropolitan region was Ocala, Florida, which saw an increase of 4% between 2023 and 2024. This was closely trailed by the Panama City-Panama City Beach, Florida, area with a growth rate of 3.8%, as well as the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, region also expanding by 3.8%.

According to the survey conducted by the bureau, 86.4% of the nation's populace resided in metropolitan regions in 2024, equating to approximately 293.9 million individuals.