Between 2023 and 2024, major U.S. cities experienced substantial population growth due to almost 2.7 million migrants settling in urban areas, driven primarily by international migration. This 1.1% increase, higher than the national rate, also reflected a decrease in the country's fertility rate. Census data reveals that immigration accounted for total population growth for the first time since the mid-19th century. However, amid this growth, the backdrop of political changes, including Trump's administration's promise of large deportations, presents a potential challenge for urban communities.
According to census demographer Kristie Wilder, the population rise in cities is increasingly being influenced by international migration. While births continue to contribute to overall growth, it is increasing international migration that is offsetting the domestic outflows from cities that we see in many areas, she says.
This is the first time this has occurred since the mid-19th century when these inflows began to be recorded; inflows which are key to maintaining a dynamic labor market.
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