Pittsburgh population holds steady amid regional declines, census says

According to new data from the U.S. Census, Pittsburgh’s population was … stable.

The city added 300 people from 2020 to 2023, about a 0.1% increase, according to data from the bureau this week. The estimates show that the city grew from 302,955 people in 2020 to 303,255 in 2023.

Allegheny County’s 2023 population saw a 2% decrease, falling to 1,224,825 people. Westmoreland County experienced a 1% drop, falling to 351,163.

Pittsburgh’s population has remained remarkably stable over the last decade. Since 2010, Pittsburgh’s population has gone through several years of small growth as well as corresponding years of slight decline.

The city last saw an increase in population from 2020 to 2021, followed by a year of decline before last year’s increase.

Checked this data set since 2010, and city of Pittsburgh has been up and down year to year, no sustained growth, and a little down overall. So while it grew from 2022-23, the city is still down 2,010 residents since 2010. https://t.co/vyKCl70WSg

— Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) May 16, 2024

Overall, Pittsburgh’s population has decreased by 2,010 people since 2010.

Chris Briem, regional economist at Pitt’s Center for Social and Urban Research, said that drop is likely attributed to a decline in the population of incarcerated individuals housed in the city. The Allegheny County Jail has lowered its population over the years and SCI Pittsburgh state penitentiary closed in 2017.

He said factoring drops in prison and jail populations shows the overall city population has remained basically the same for over a dozen years.

Most of Pennsylvania’s municipal population growth was concentrated in the eastern part of the state.

But, Western Pennsylvania was home to two of the fastest growing townships.

Slippery Rock Township in Butler County added 1,709 people between 2022 and 2023 and increased by more than 25%.

That made it the third-fastest growing municipality in the entire state.

Lancaster Township, also in Butler County, grew by 24%.

The census released breakdowns of cities across the country with 2023 population estimates. The data showed that cities in the South continue to grow, while cities in the Midwest and Northeast generally lagged with 1 to 3% drops in population. New York, the largest city in the country, saw a 6% drop in population from 2020 to last year.

Detroit grew from 631,366 in 2022 to 633,218 residents in 2023, marking the first time the city has grown since 1957.

Pittsburgh’s cross-state rival, Philadelphia, held on to its spot as the nation’s 6th largest city, while slipping about 3% in population. Philly’s population fell to 1,550,542 people in 2023 from 1,603,793 in 2020.