Census Data: Growth Trends Favor Sunbelt Cities

New Census data tracking urban populations through July 2014 shows a steady rise in city populations, countering the suburban spike of 2000-2010. While New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago continue to grow, gains are not as rapid as they were several years ago. From the article: "Seven of the 10 largest cities and 53 of the 81 cities with over a quarter of a million population experienced reduced growth levels in the most recent year, though they still mostly exhibited growth well above their average of 2000-2010."

On the other hand, the Sunbelt appears to be back in the growth business. Among the fastest recent gainers were Austin, Texas; Orlando, Fla.; Durham, N.C.; Henderson, Nevada; Denver, Colorado; and Fort Worth, Texas. 

In a sharp deviation from the early 2000s, primary city growth is almost on par with suburban growth this decade. In the Sunbelt, however, suburban areas have experienced larger gains than central neighborhoods.