https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/S-F-population-fell-6-3-most-in-nation-to-17199403.php Skip to main content San Francisco Chronicle Homepage Currently Reading S.F. population fell 6.3%, most in nation, to lowest level since 2010 * Subscribe Subscribe * e-Edition * Sign In [ ] * Climate + Drought + Fire Tracker + Quake Tracker + Drought Map + Air Quality Tracker + Wildfires + Weather * Video & Visuals * Reader Tools + Audio Tours + Place an obituary * Subscribe * About Us + Newsroom News + Chronicle Store + Season of Sharing + Terms of Use + Privacy Notice + Do Not Sell My Info + Advertise With Us * Bay Area + Data + Housing Crisis + PG&E + Transit + SF Homeless Project + COVID-19 Map + Golden Gate Park + San Francisco + COVID-19 + Crime + Health * Sports + Giants + Warriors + 49ers + A's + Sharks + High School + College * Politics + Voter Guide + Election 2022 * Tech + VisionSF * US & World + California * Opinions * Food + Top Wineries + Top Restaurants + Restaurants + Wine, Beer & Spirits * Travel + Outdoors + Tahoe * Vault: Our S.F. + Portals of the Past * Podcasts + The Doodler + Chronicled + Extra Spicy + Fifth & Mission + Total SF + It's All Political * Obituaries * In-Depth * Real Estate + Find a Home * Datebook + Movies & TV + Music + Theater + Art & Exhibits + Dance + Classical + Books + Festivals * Puzzles + Comics * Membership + Newsletters + About Membership + Exclusive offers + Join Now + e-edition + App + Manage my account Most Popular * A 4,853-year-old Great Basin bristlecone pine tree known as Methuselah is growing high at Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California. It is also recognized as the non-clonal tree with the greatest confirmed age in the world. But a researcher in Chile thinks he found an even older tree that could challenge Methuselah's mantle. California thinks its bristlecone pine 'Methuselah' is the oldest tree... * People outside one of two San Francisco Shake Shacks in 2019. The chain is continuing to expand throughout the Bay Area. Shake Shack is opening in two more Bay Area cities this year * [ratio1x1_1] COVID in California: S.F. schools report most cases since January * A person walks down the empty tracks leading from the Cable Car Turnaround at Powell and Market streets for people to take pictures of it in San Francisco, Calif. Thursday, February 18, 2021. SFMTA says they are unsure if cable cars will be put back into service following the COVID-19 pandemic due to budget constraints. S.F. population fell 6.3%, most in nation, to lowest level since 2010 * Ken Tominaga, the renowned chef behind Hana Japanese Restaurant and Pabu Izakaya, has died. Ken Tominaga, trailblazing Bay Area sushi chef, dies at 61 * A first course of yellowtail, golden beet and basil at Mijote in San Francisco. Tucked away in an S.F. Victorian, this tiny new restaurant is... * A first grade classroom is seen at Bryan Elementary as SFUSD preps for the first day of in-person learning in over a year at Bryant Elementary on Friday, April 9, 2021 in San Francisco, Calif. SFUSD drops the word 'chief' from job titles to avoid connotation with... * Glorious chicken from Oculto in Castro Valley The Bay Area's best roast chicken may be hidden above a suburban grocery... * Spicy fried chicken tenders, sliders and sides from Dave's Hot Chicken. Spicy fried chicken chain drawing hours-long lines to add three new Bay... * Draymond Green (23) lifts Stephen Curry (30) when it was announced he won the MVP for the Western Conference Finals after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Maverics 120-110 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, May 26, 2022. Warriors make satisfying return to NBA Finals: 'We back' Bay Area // San Francisco S.F. population fell 6.3%, most in nation, to lowest level since 2010 San Francisco saw by far the biggest percentage drop in population among major U.S. cities during the first part of the pandemic, underscoring how the city emptied out during a shift to remote work Roland Li, Susie Neilson May 25, 2022Updated: May 26, 2022 8:11 a.m. Facebook Twitter Email Comments A person walks down the empty tracks leading from the Cable Car Turnaround at Powell and Market streets for people to take pictures of it in San Francisco on February 18, 2021. San Francisco saw by far the biggest percentage drop in population among major U.S. cities during the first part of the pandemic, according to new census data. A person walks down the empty tracks leading from the Cable Car Turnaround at Powell and Market streets for people to take pictures of it in San Francisco on February 18, 2021. San Francisco saw by far the biggest percentage drop in population among major U.S. cities during the first part of the pandemic, according to new census data. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2021 San Francisco saw by far the biggest percentage drop in population among major U.S. cities during the first part of the pandemic, underscoring how the city emptied out during a shift to remote work, according to new census data. The city lost 54,813 people or 6.3% of its population between July 2020 and 2021. One pandemic year erased a decade of tech-fueled population boom: San Francisco's 815,201 residents as of July 2021 was the lowest since 2010, according to census data. New York had the second-highest percentage drop, losing 3.5% of residents or over 305,000 people. The country's most densely populated county, Manhattan, was the hardest hard-hit New York borough, losing 6.6% of its population. Other Bay Area cities saw some of the highest percentage of population losses in the country: Daly City dropped 3.2% and Redwood City was down 3%, while San Mateo, Cupertino, South San Francisco each fell almost 3%. Boston and Washington, D.C. also had population drops of almost 3%, and nine of the 15 most populous U.S. cities saw losses in people. That included San Jose, the Bay Area's largest city, which saw its population fall 2.7%, dropping below 1 million people for the first time since 2013. It remained the country's 10th most populated city with 983,489 people. Austin, Texas, a popular pandemic destination for both California residents and companies, gained only 1,056 people for a total of 964,177 to remain the 11th largest city, though its suburbs boomed. Experts have said the Bay Area's high housing costs and remote work policies, particularly for the tech industry, fueled out-migration during the pandemic, as residents sought cheaper homes and more space. Almost all California coastal cities lost population, while the more affordable Central Valley and Inland Empire saw gains. Census data released in March showed domestic out-migration was the primary factor in San Francisco's population drop, with 56,000 people moving out. There are signs that fewer San Franciscans are leaving and some are coming back. Postal service change of address requests fell last summer, and apartment rents are rebounding as companies bring people back to the office. State population estimates, which differ in methodology from the Census Bureau, put San Francisco's population at 842,754 people at the beginning of 2022, down 0.8% from the prior year. The 15 fastest growing U.S. cities were concentrated in the west and south regions, including in Arizona, Texas, Florida and Idaho. Two suburbs north of Austin, Georgetown and Leander, Texas, added a combined 13,352 people, each growing more than 10% during the 12 month period. That was the nation's highest rate for cities with 50,000 or more people. Central Texas's housing construction is outpacing California's biggest region. Travis County, which includes Austin, added 25,693 housing units, more than the 22,925 in Los Angeles County, which has almost eight times as many people, according to census data. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Area's largest water districts. Overall, the nation's population grew only 0.1% between July 2020 and 2021, the slowest pace on record, as births fell, deaths rose and international immigration plunged. California's population fell slightly for the second year in a row in 2021, according to state figures. San Francisco * S.F. fight over affordable housing: Supervisors want voters to back their new plan over Breed's big push at ballot * San Francisco faces $1.3 billion shortfall in quest to meet state housing goals Roland Li and Susie Neilson are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com, susan.neilson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf @susieneilson Fifth & Mission The Chronicle's flagship news podcast. Listen and subscribe on your favorite app. Click the player below for the latest episode. * Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Area's largest water districts. Photo of Roland Li Written By Roland Li Reach Roland on Roland Li covers commercial real estate for the business desk, focusing on the Bay Area office and retail sectors. He was previously a reporter at San Francisco Business Times, where he won one award from the California News Publishers Association and three from the National Association of Real Estate Editors. He is the author of "Good Luck Have Fun: The Rise of eSports," a 2016 book on the history of the competitive video game industry. Before moving to the Bay Area in 2015, he studied and worked in New York. He freelanced for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and other local publications. His hobbies include swimming and urban photography. Photo of Susie Neilson Written By Susie Neilson Reach Susie on Susie Neilson is a data reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. Previously, she was a science fellow at Business Insider, covered COVID-19 and criminal justice for KQED and worked as a private investigator at the Mintz Group. Her work has also appeared in NPR, Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting and The New Yorker, among other publications. She is a 2019 graduate of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where she studied investigative and multimedia reporting. Read more about the data team and their work. View Comments Top of the News * Giants' Gabe Kapler to skip national anthem over political inactivity on... San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Friday he will remain in the clubhouse during the national anthem, a protest against the nation's lack of action following the school shooting in... By John Shea * California's drought has caused entire towns to sink nearly a foot in... By Yoohyun Jung Will Chesa Boudin recall's 'unprecedented' effort courting S.F.'s Asian... By Roland Li and J.D. Morris Warriors make satisfying return to NBA Finals: 'We back' By Ann Killion Voter Guide 2022: What S.F. 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