r/dataisbeautiful • u/TA-MajestyPalm • 6d 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/Waste_Molasses_936 5d ago

No wonder I-4 has gone from bad to abysmal since 2020. What used to take 1.5 hours from Tampa to Orland for the last 30 years is now: 1.5 hours to ???? at any time of day

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u/FloridaGatorMan 5d ago

I moved to Colorado from Florida 10 years ago and was really frustrated how often I had to sit in traffic to get anywhere. Then I visited family in Orlando and felt much better about the traffic here, haha. It's still terrible here but I drove to MCO at 7 am on a Sunday and was sitting in traffic. Exact same thing that happened when I was driving to LAX Sunday morning years ago. It really is rough there.

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u/ObvMann 5d ago

Of only the car wasn’t your only option

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u/FloridaGatorMan 1d ago

I visited Amsterdam recently and the entire time I was sitting on the train I could not stop thinking about how much fucking better that was than sitting into traffic.

I was there for work but stayed an extra day to see a soccer game in Rotterdam. I walked out of my hotel, walked 100 yds down to the subway, had to change change trains once, and then I walked around before and after the game. It was incredible.

I know US cities have subways but I was blown away how clean and pleasant it was there.

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u/ObvMann 1d ago

And you lost weight doing it