Gary, Indiana, is fighting to keep a steady population due to its shrinking job market. The city was built on the manufacturing industry, but growing competitiveness in the steel industry overseas caused many US layoffs.
This has impacted many people living in Gary, and there has been a continuous decline in numbers since the 60s. In the 2010 census, Gary lost a startling 21% of its residents and an additional 6% in 2018.
St. Louis, Missouri
Nestled between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers banks sits the city of St. Louis, known for its baseball and the most famous arch that isn't part of a fast-food logo. But despite that, St. Louis is now placed as the 64th largest city in the country. St. Louis was once bustling city, but now its numbers are steadily declining as people look to find somewhere better to live.
There are hundreds of abandoned buildings in St. Louis mainly because of a lack of investment and government administration that favored suburbanization. 64% of St. Louis residents have left since the 50s and since 2010, the city has experienced a further drop in its population by 5%.
Rock Island, Illinois
Illinois has been grappling with its shrinking numbers for many years, with many people moving out of the bigger cities searching for a more provincial setting.
One city with a striking difference in their numbers is Rock Island, which was doing well during the 1980s. Since then, the city has been in a gradual downswing, with a recorded 3.4% drop in size in 2018 from 2010.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
When job opportunities in a city disappear, it’s only a matter of time before the people follow suit. Pittsfield in Massachusetts was once a booming city thanks to General Electric, but people also began leaving when the company decided to relocate in the 1980s. Since General Electric left Pittsfield, the town has experienced a staggering 26.5% slump in numbers as there are better opportunities for employment to be found elsewhere.
Pittsfield lost around 7,000 residents between 2010 and 2018, but with new jobs offered by General Dynamics and Berkshire Health Systems, the city could rise once again in the future.
Worland, Wyoming
When major cities experience continued growth, it's often at the expense of smaller cities and towns. Bigger cities have overshadowed one such town in Wyoming, and that is Worland.
Since the 1960s, the people in Worland have had their ups and downs, or rather, Worland experienced a population loss of 7.5%, which may be troubling, and something that the residents of Worland hope won't carry on.