The U.S. population grew by just 0.35% between July 2019 and July 2020, the smallest annual growth rate in well over a century. Driven in part by restrictions on immigration and a declining birth rate, stagnant population growth may have profound and far-reaching consequences — including reduced economic growth, stagnating home values, and fewer workers to support an aging population.
This trend is by no means unique to last year. Over the past decade, cities and towns across the country have reported rapid population decline.
The unincorporated community of Forestdale has the fastest shrinking population in Alabama, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Currently, home to an estimated 8,920 people, Forestdale’s population declined by 17.5% from 2010 to 2019. Meanwhile, Alabama’s population expanded by 3.5% over the same period.
While declining immigration and falling birth rates largely explain the national slowdown in population growth, at the local level, these factors are compounded by residents moving out. An estimated 40 million Americans move each year, and one of the most common reasons is for improved economic opportunity.
Outbound migration from Forestdale may be due in part to relatively limited job opportunities. The area’s average unemployment rate stands at 9.3%, above the statewide average of 5.9%.
All data in this story are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. All cities, towns, villages, boroughs, and census-designated places with populations of at least 1,000 and where the margin of error for the population was less than 10% were considered. This is the fastest shrinking place in every state.
| Place | Pop. change, 2010 to 2019 | State pop. change, 2010 to 2019 | Total population, 2010 | Total population, 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama: Forestdale | -17.5% | +3.5% | 10,811 | 8,924 |
| Alaska: Big Lake | -17.6% | +6.6% | 3,250 | 2,678 |
| Arizona: San Carlos | -19.4% | +12.9% | 5,523 | 4,451 |
| Arkansas: Brinkley | -17.5% | +4.4% | 3,324 | 2,742 |
| California: Willowbrook | -35.1% | +7.2% | 35,174 | 22,811 |
| Colorado: Lincoln Park | -21.9% | +14.8% | 4,204 | 3,283 |
| Connecticut: Putnam | -11.9% | +0.8% | 7,505 | 6,615 |
| Delaware: Glasgow | -8.2% | +8.6% | 15,648 | 14,359 |
| Florida: Siesta Key | -15.2% | +12.9% | 6,573 | 5,573 |
| Georgia: Druid Hills | -42.7% | +9.9% | 14,603 | 8,365 |
| Hawaii: Waimanalo Beach | -11.9% | +6.6% | 4,629 | 4,076 |
| Idaho: Mountain Home AFB | -16.7% | +12.5% | 3,613 | 3,009 |
| Illinois: Cairo | -28.5% | +0.2% | 2,963 | 2,120 |
| Indiana: Dunkirk | -17.0% | +3.9% | 2,437 | 2,022 |
| Iowa: Sac City | -12.8% | +4.1% | 2,294 | 2,001 |
| Kansas: Oswego | -21.4% | +3.6% | 2,133 | 1,676 |
| Kentucky: Fort Knox | -27.1% | +3.8% | 11,933 | 8,695 |
| Louisiana: Norco | -15.6% | +5.3% | 3,375 | 2,850 |
| Maine: Winslow | -37.0% | +0.6% | 7,823 | 4,928 |
| Maryland: Sykesville | -11.6% | +5.7% | 4,454 | 3,939 |
| Massachusetts: Oxford | -12.2% | +5.8% | 6,373 | 5,595 |
| Michigan: Beecher | -23.7% | +0.1% | 11,842 | 9,041 |
| Minnesota: Appleton | -35.2% | +6.1% | 2,178 | 1,412 |
| Mississippi: Winona | -17.2% | +1.4% | 5,105 | 4,227 |
| Missouri: Spanish Lake | -19.8% | +3.1% | 21,803 | 17,485 |
| Montana: Malmstrom AFB | -13.3% | +7.9% | 4,820 | 4,179 |
| Nebraska: Franklin | -13.5% | +6.4% | 1,192 | 1,031 |
| Nevada: Hawthorne | -26.2% | +12.9% | 3,640 | 2,686 |
| New Hampshire: Derry | -4.7% | +2.6% | 22,884 | 21,817 |
| New Jersey: Avalon | -26.5% | +1.8% | 1,914 | 1,406 |
| New Mexico: Zuni Pueblo | -26.5% | +3.9% | 9,527 | 7,001 |
| New York: South Nyack | -39.0% | +1.8% | 5,548 | 3,387 |
| North Carolina: James City | -14.1% | +10.7% | 6,236 | 5,354 |
| North Dakota: Bottineau | -14.4% | +14.7% | 2,445 | 2,094 |
| Ohio: Wheelersburg | -14.3% | +1.2% | 7,099 | 6,082 |
| Oklahoma: Watonga | -43.9% | +7.0% | 5,139 | 2,881 |
| Oregon: Roseburg North | -26.9% | +9.8% | 6,919 | 5,059 |
| Pennsylvania: Bellwood | -21.0% | +1.4% | 2,047 | 1,618 |
| Rhode Island: Warwick | -3.2% | +0.1% | 83,676 | 80,993 |
| South Carolina: Allendale | -17.0% | +11.3% | 3,626 | 3,009 |
| South Dakota: Fort Thompson | -13.5% | +8.9% | 1,428 | 1,235 |
| Tennessee: Belle Meade | -21.1% | +7.6% | 2,891 | 2,280 |
| Texas: San Elizario | -36.1% | +16.2% | 14,277 | 9,126 |
| Utah: Price | -2.5% | +16.5% | 8,473 | 8,265 |
| Vermont: St. Johnsbury | -12.7% | +0.0% | 6,722 | 5,865 |
| Virginia: Mason Neck | -11.5% | +7.8% | 2,245 | 1,986 |
| Washington: Fairchild AFB | -19.8% | +12.8% | 4,159 | 3,336 |
| West Virginia: Nitro | -15.3% | -1.3% | 7,083 | 5,997 |
| Wisconsin: Nashotah | -21.5% | +2.7% | 1,553 | 1,219 |
| Wyoming: Warren AFB | -15.0% | +6.5% | 2,888 | 2,456 |
Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square
