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

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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/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/tu-vens-tu-vens 3d ago

People’s revealed preferences over the past 50 years or so have shown preference for warmer weather.

Coastal places like Miami face real challenges. But Raleigh, Nashville, Atlanta, and Austin getting a few degrees hotter isn’t going to dissuade anyone from moving there – not when far hotter places like Phoenix keep on growing and people have been living in far hotter places (Mesopotamia, Egypt) since literally the dawn of civilization.