U.S. Census Reports Pittsburgh Population Decrease

While Pennsylvania's population remains the 6th highest in the union with 12,702,379 residents, southwest Pennsylvania's population faces decline. According to the 2010 Census results Allegheny County experienced a 4.6% population loss counting for 58,318 people, while Pittsburgh's population dropped to 305,704 from 334,563.

Chris Briem, Regional Economist at Pitt's University Center for Social and Urban Research, says that the declining population is fallout from families migrating after a lot of industry left the region. "The job loss here, the loss of heavy industry here, was about as extreme as you would find even by Rust Belt standards. So I think a lot of those long term demographic trends are impacting us more than elsewhere."

Briem says that once families left the region they took away some of the opportunity for the population to grow and left behind an older population that is less likely to have children.

Other Pennsylvania regions fared better than the Pittsburgh region with the entire state gaining 421,325 people and Philadelphia County acquiring an additional 8,456 people.

PA Population Grows Slowly

The latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania State Data Center show Pennsylvania’s population continues to grow but at a comparatively slow rate. Since the 2000 census it is estimated that the state’s population has grown by 1.4% (167,227) while at the same time to nation has grown by 8% (22,635,122). Contributing to the states slow growth rate is a net domestic out migration and a small spread between the death rate and the birth rate in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania ranks 2nd in the nation in death rate and 47th in birth rate. Data Center Director Sue Copella says the numbers show the out migration rate is starting to shrink and could turn around in the next decade. Contributing to the growth is a net in migration from other countries.

Pennsylvania growing slowly

The latest Census Bureau estimates show Pennsylvania grew at the rate of point-2 percent from 2007-2007. That compares to 1 percent nation wide but is similar to other states in the Northeast including New York at .1%, New Jersey at .2% and Maryland at .3%. Most of Pennsylvania’s growth came from in migration from outside the United States. International migration accounted for 16,829 new Pennsylvanians in 2006 while migration within the US accounted for a loss of 7,377 residents. The state saw slow natural growth with births outstripping deaths by 18,676 lives. The Census Bureau estimates Pennsylvania’s population was 12,432,792 July 1 2007. That makes it the 6th largest state. The .2% population change ranks 41sty in the nation and the real growth of 29,975 ranked Pennsylvania 24th in the nation.

See report from the Pennsylvania State Data Center.