These 14 Pa. towns have lost the most residents since 2020. See if your city made our list

As many Pennsylvania counties face a long-term decline in population, some cities and towns across the commonwealth have already started seeing their residents decrease since 2020.

Population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that nearly 66% of Pennsylvania’s more than 2,500 municipalities saw their communities drop in size between 2020 and 2023, but the difference in most towns ranged from a loss of between one to about 50 people.

Some of the state’s larger cities have been losing residents in much greater numbers and consistently over the past three years.

Philadelphia’s population dropped by about 3.3% since 2020, seeing about 53,255 fewer residents in 2023 than it had in 2020.

Erie City’s population in 2023 was about 92,957 people, a nearly 2% decline from its 2020 population of 94,831 residents. The 2023 census estimate was also the lowest population recorded in Erie in over a century.

Erie officials have challenged the 2020 decennial census estimates, its proposed adjustment to the population including group quarters, which include dorms, prisons, shelters, detention centers and senior living facilities, and could add up to 4,838 people to 2020 estimates.

While the challenge has been accepted by the census bureau, it is unclear at this point what impact the challenge will have on future population estimates.

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A December report by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania estimated that most of Pennsylvania’s counties will see their populations shrink over the next 30 years, and census estimates released in March seem to be showing the start of that trend as 41 of 67 counties saw shrinking residents between 2022 and 2023.

The USA Today Network reviewed municipal-level census estimates released earlier this year to find towns with the largest total population drops in Pennsylvania.

Below is a breakdown of 14 cities, townships and boroughs that have lost the most residents.

The fastest shrinking towns in Pennsylvania

1. Philadelphia City, Philadelphia County Shrank by 53,255 people, a 3.3% drop from 1.6 million residents in 2020 to 1.55 million residents in 2023.
2. Erie City, Erie CountyShrank by 1,874 people, a 2.0% drop from 94,831 residents in 2020 to 92,957 residents in 2023.
3. Decatur Township, Clearfield CountyShrank by 1,630 people, a 35.8% drop from 4,558 residents in 2020 to 2,928 residents in 2023.
4. Penn Hills Township, Allegheny County Shrank by 1,416 people, a 3.4% drop from 41,059 residents in 2020 to 39,643 residents in 2023.
5. Bethel Park, Allegheny CountyShrank by 1,179 people, a 3.5% drop from 33,577 residents in 2020 to 32,398 residents in 2023.
6. Altoona City, Blair CountyShrank by 1,175 people, a 2.7% drop from 43,963 residents in 2020 to 42,788 residents in 2023.
7. Mount Lebanon Township, Allegheny CountyShrank by 1,137 people, a 3.3% drop from 34,075 residents in 2020 to 32,938 residents in 2023.
8. Ross Township, Allegheny CountyShrank by 1,134 people, a 3.4% drop from 33,567 residents in 2020 to 32,433 residents in 2023.
9. McCandless Township, Allegheny CountyShrank by 1,025 people, a 3.5% drop from 29,698 residents in 2020 to 28,673 residents in 2023.
10. Shaler Township, Allegheny CountyShrank by 1,016 people, a 3.6% drop from 28,132 residents in 2020 to 27,116 residents in 2023.
11. Millcreek Township, Erie CountyShrank by 972 people, a 1.8% drop from 54,073 residents in 2020 to 53,101 residents in 2023.
12. Allentown City, Lehigh CountyShrank by 965 people, a 0.8% drop from 125,845 residents in 2020 to 124,880 residents in 2023.
13. Lancaster City, Lancaster CountyShrank by 886 people, a 1.5% drop from 58,039 residents in 2020 to 57,153 residents in 2023.
14. Baldwin Borough, Allegheny CountyShrank by 802 people, a 3.7% drop from 21,510 residents in 2020 to 20,708 residents in 2023.

How were these Pa. towns chosen?

The census estimates used to create this list contained population estimates from 2020 through 2023 for the more than 2,500 municipalities in Pennsylvania.

In 2023, half of those communities were home to fewer than 1,893 people, and about 22% had fewer than 800 residents. Towns that fell in the bottom 25% of total population were excluded.

The list also excluded towns where the population change in 2023 was an increase from either 2022 or 2021 in order to find towns that were seeing repeated declines.

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Why are so many counties shrinking?

Births outpaced deaths in Pennsylvania last year in some parts of the commonwealth, and residents moving out of urban areas were two big factors behind the most recent county-level declines, according to the census estimates released earlier this year.

The report from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania warns that those factors, along with the continued graying of the Baby Boomer generation, will either create or further strain a range of social and economic challenge, including housing, health care, transportation and education.

Chris Ullery is the Philadelphia Hub Data Reporter for the USA Today Network. Reach him at cullery@couriertimes.com or find him on Twitter at @ulleryatinell.