Over the years, several once-thriving American cities have witnessed sharp population declines, particularly in regions once dominated by manufacturing industries.
These cities, often located in the Rust Belt, have experienced substantial shifts in their economies and demographics. Today, some of these cities are making efforts to recover, but their histories of industrial decline leave behind significant challenges.
Below, we take a closer look at five cities that have seen their populations shrink by more than half, and examine the factors that contributed to their decline as well as the ongoing efforts to revitalize them.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio, was once a bustling center of steel production and innovation. With its population peaking at more than 900,000 in 1950, Cleveland was a symbol of America’s industrial might. By the 1980s, however, one-third of the city’s manufacturing jobs had vanished, a direct result of factory closures and the outsourcing of production…