California cities including Santa Ana, San Jose, Pasadena and Inglewood have experienced some of the largest population decreases in the U.S., according to a new study from Smart Asset.
The financial technology company looked at declining populations over five years, beginning in 2017 and ending in 2022. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau was used in the report.
California cities made up around 40% of the top 25 cities where populations have decreased most, according to the report.
Ten cities with the highest population decline
| Rank | City | 2022 Population | 2017 Population | Five-year change |
| 1 | Paradise, Nevada | 183,321 | 235,123 | −22.03% |
| 2 | Jackson, Mississippi | 146,019 | 167,250 | −12.69% |
| 3 | East Los Angeles, California | 112,965 | 125,542 | −10.02% |
| 4 | Aurora, Illinois | 182,336 | 202,548 | −9.98% |
| 5 | El Monte, California | 105,307 | 116,110 | −9.30% |
| 6 | San Francisco, California | 808,437 | 884,363 | −8.59% |
| 7 | Hialeah, Florida | 220,274 | 239,682 | −8.10% |
| 8 | Detroit, Michigan | 620,410 | 673,103 | −7.83% |
| 9 | Santa Ana, California | 308,203 | 334,135 | −7.76% |
| 10 | Birmingham, Alabama | 196,353 | 212,744 | −7.70% |
The complete report can be viewed here.
The study didn’t identify why people left some cities more than others, but researchers theorized that low birth rates or increased death rates could have impacted population figures.
In the case of Jackson, Mississippi, it could be connected to the city’s ongoing struggles to provide clean, drinkable water to residents.
And for California, some have decided to leave the state altogether in favor of more affordable states like Nevada and Texas.