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

[u/TA-MajestyPalm]

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.

[u/ballsonthewall]

It's interesting how the city of Pittsburgh is growing despite the metro taking a little population loss. I think the trend of the 20th century might be starting to reverse based on climate change, COL, and younger people's desires for more diverse, accessible, and urban communities. The suburban ponzi scheme is clearly up for many of our "middle" suburbs (no hate on Penn Hills but that's a great example), whereas the city is starting to see growth, development, and revitalization in places like Allentown, Uptown, and Garfield.

[u/Equivalent_Dig_5059 → u/ballsonthewall]

Pittsburgh is certainly not experiencing rapid growth like these other places though, and definitely not at a rate that’s average to most places. There’s a reason it’s last place on this graph man.

Pittsburgh is known to move slower these days, you can say what you will about the transit and what not, but people don’t take it, people don’t use it, and people don’t develop around it.

Pittsburgh has significant light rail coverage through an area of the city that lacks a freeway. Literally, a progressive urbanist wet dream, a perfect combo, yet, the light rail line has low ridership and, most of the line is surrounded by vast, empty parking lots. Grossly underutilized light rail infrastructure. Huge red flag for the region.

And another point would be that most of the growth is found in the exurb towns of Cranberry/Washington/Monroeville, all have had significant expansions of low rise office parks that are quite full, Southpointe (an exit off 79) has a higher occupancy rate than downtown Pittsburgh.

I don’t know what the solution is but the region is clearly at an impasse with what they want. It’s very telling where development lacks and where effort is put. Pittsburgh could be a very good city with insane location, a high speed rail line to NYC or Philly or DC would make Pittsburgh a viable living location to people in those regions too. But, it seems the state either doesn’t have the money to do it or doesn’t want to. Either way, it shows.

[u/Frodojj → u/Equivalent_Dig_5059]

Pittsburgh doesn't have good light rail. It only goes from the stadiums to through Downtown and then south. It doesn't go east or north. It doesn't even branch out. If you're coming from 80% of the area around the city, you need to drive or use a bus. If you want to go to the colleges, libraries, or museums, then you need to switch to a bus. If you want to go to the park or to the colleges, you would need to switch to a bus. If you want to shop at the strip or go to the south side, then you need a bus. These transfers add a lot of time to a trip. Pittsburgh's light rail system is basically just a skeleton with a single bone.

[u/Equivalent_Dig_5059 → u/Frodojj]

Right but that’s rather the point, why has there been zero development along the light rail line? There’s “nowhere to go” on the train because nobody builds somewhere to go.

If development is happening at the exurbs, that’s where people want to go. I can go on Google maps right now and throw a dart along the T in Pittsburgh and find a parking lot, that, is of a size that could fit a much higher density urban purpose.

You have the capacity to create urban developments that are pedestrian friendly, and along a high volume transit line, yet, the suburb and exurb office parks are much more popular and experiencing the most investment. It’s clear where the public interest lies or the money at least