r/dataisbeautiful • u/TA-MajestyPalm • 4d ago

OC [OC] Post-Pandemic Population Growth Trends, by US Metro Area (2022->2024)

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Graphic by me, created in Excel. All data from US Census here: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html

I've created similar graphics in the past, but usually from 2020-2024. This is not the best time frame as it combines the abnormal covid years with post pandemic movement.

This time frame (2022-2024) shows the most current and ongoing population trends of the last 2 years.

I also wanted to better categorize the cities into broad cultural regions vs the arbitrary geographic census regions.

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u/TA-MajestyPalm 4d ago

Required comment:

Graphic by me, created in Excel.

All data from US Census here: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html

I've created similar graphics in the past, but usually from 2020-2024. This is not the best time frame as it combines the abnormal covid years with post-pandemic movement.

This time frame (2022-2024) shows the most current and ongoing population trends of the last 2 years.

I also wanted to better categorize the cities into broad cultural regions vs the arbitrary geographic census regions.

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u/TheLighthammer 3d ago

Wondering how much of the gain in the south and southwest is related to retiring Boomers chasing the sun.

It’s fascinating to see people moving to places that climate change will make utterly miserable. We’re going to see a lot of migration away from those same areas in the not too distant future.

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u/EstablishmentFull797 3d ago

Retirees going to the south/sunbelt are on a one way migration. By the time those regions reach the utterly miserable phase of climate change, they’ll be dead.