WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Midwest showed modest population growth from 2023 to 2024 with average rates varying by population size, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2024 estimates released May 15. Places with fewer than 5,000 residents saw an average growth of 0.1 percent. Those with populations between 5,000 and 9,999 recorded a 0.6 percent average increase, while cities and towns with 10,000 to 49,999 residents grew by an average of 0.7 percent — the same rate observed in places with populations of 50,000 or more.
Nationally, cities with populations fewer than 5,000 grew by 0.3 percent on average, compared with average growth rates of 1 percent for those with populations of 5,000 to 9,999; 1.1 percent for populations of 10,000 to 49,999; and 1 percent for populations of 50,000 or more.
Between 2023 and 2024, 22 cities and towns in 16 states nationwide crossed the 20,000-population threshold. Four were in the Midwest.
Rosemount, Minnesota, was ranked as one of the top 10 fastest-growing cities and towns with populations of 20,000 or more. The population grew 10.6 percent to 30,581. Rosemount was the only city in the Midwest to make the top 15 list.
Chicago was ranked No. 7 and Columbus, Ohio, as No. 14 on the list of the cities with the largest numeric increase with populations of 20,000 or more. Chicago’s population increased by 22,164, while Columbus grew by 12,694 people. On the list of the most populous cities, Chicago ranked No. 3 at 2.72 million, while Columbus rounded out the top 15 at 933,263. For comparison, in 2020, Chicago’s population was 2.74 million. The 2020 population for Columbus was 906,466.
Detroit experienced population growth for the second straight year. The city’s population rose to 645,705, up 6,971 people from 2023. The new data includes revised figures for 2023, providing a win for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who previously sued the Census Bureau for inaccurate counts, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. The bureau uses data on housing units as well as average household sizes to estimate city populations. Crain’s reports that Duggan and the city believe its blight removal — the destruction of abandoned homes — led to an erroneous population count by undercounting housing units and therefore undercounting residents.