America's Dying Cities
From 2000 to 2010 the U.S. population increased by the smallest rate than at any time since the Great Depression, rising 9.7 percent to approximately 308 million people, according to new census data. It’s yet another sign of the tough times that many Americans faced during the second half of the 2000s due to an ailing economy, but it only begins to paint a picture of the country’s money woes.
On the whole, the Midwest fared well during the recession years, but not the Great Lakes states, which were more closely tied to the auto industry. By one metric, Ohio is one of several states that still remains at risk of falling back into a recession in the immediate future. The tough times have likely driven some residents to look for safer financial ground elsewhere, including more than 3% of the young people living here. But for the sake of this city, we hope that things turn around soon. After all, if there aren’t any young people, will Cleveland still be able to rock?
Total Population (2009): 431,369
Proportion Under 18 (2009): 25.4%
Change in Total Population (2000-2009): -9.7%
Change in Residents Under 18 (2000-2009): -3.1 percentage points
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