People are seeking lower prices, more square footage, improved neighborhoods, or simply a fresh start — and the numbers aren’t a joke. Some of these cities are losing thousands of residents each year, despite decades of steady growth. Take San Francisco, California, for example. The population of the city, as of early this year, stands at around 842,000, which is down by over 31,000 individuals compared to early 2020, according to data from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Here are the towns where the moving trucks seem to be rolling away more often than arriving.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco continues to lose its residents. Between January 2024 and January 2025, it lost around 3,300 residents, leaving it with a population of approximately 842,000.
Why are people leaving? Housing costs are out of sight, property taxes and living costs are gigantic burdens. Remote work and pandemic-driven shifts prompted many to relocate, especially to more affordable areas. Domestic out-migration (people moving to other places within the U.S.) is a key factor; overseas migration has helped, but it hasn’t fully offset the losses.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago has been on a steady decline. In 1920, Chicago boasted a population of 2.7 million—an increase of more than 516,000 over the previous decade. A century later, the city’s population stands at 2.66 million, down by 128,034 after nine consecutive years of decline…