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Population growth surges in big cities

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The Associated Press

Published: July 2, 2009

WASHINGTON - Reversing a decadelong trend, many of America's largest cities are growing more quickly than the rest of the nation.

Census data released Wednesday highlight a city resurgence in coastal regions and areas of the Midwest and Northeast attributed to a housing crunch, recession and higher gas prices that have slowed migration to far-flung suburbs and residential hot spots in the South and West.

The 2008 population figures show New York and Chicago made gains from higher births, and Philadelphia stanched population losses from earlier in the decade. Also showing rebounds were industrial centers in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; Columbus, Ohio; and Lincoln, Neb. Detroit, with its ailing auto industry, declined.

Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle and Portland, Ore., all on the West Coast, registered growth, boosted partly by foreign-born immigrants who moved to and stayed in gateway cities.

Census estimates show:

•The 10 largest cities grew about 1 percent from the previous year, buoyed by Chicago's gains and fewer losses in Philadelphia, compared with 0.9 percent for other cities.

•New York continued to be the nation's most populous city, with 8.4 million residents. Los Angeles ranked second at 3.8 million.

IN THE BAY AREA

HILLSBOROUGH: Tampa's population grew from 335,478 in 2007 to 340,882 in 2008, or 1.6 percent, according to the census data. It ranked as the 53rd most populous city in 2008, up from 58th in 2000.

PINELLAS: The Bay area's second and third largest cities lost population from 2007 to 2008. St. Petersburg dropped from 246,020 to 245,314, or 0.3 percent, and Clearwater fell from 106,295 to 105,774, or 0.5 percent. St. Petersburg was the 77th most populous city in 2008 (down from 69th in 2000), and Clearwater was the 243rd (down from 209th).

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