National ranking · Top 100 · data updated August 2026
The 100 US Cities Losing the Most Population
This list ranks the US cities that lost the largest share of their population between 2020 and 2025, using U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP), Vintage 2025. 1,841 of the 4,778 eligible places declined at all; the 100 steepest appear here, and a city that merely grew slowly never appears -- every row on this page is a real decline. St. Louis, MO is the largest city on the list at 278,144 residents in 2025.
- 100
- Cities ranked
- #1
- Susanville
- -22.1%
- Population Change (2020-2025)
Data updated August 2026
The headline finding
Susanville, CA tops this list at -22.1% population change (2020-2025), making the top 100 requires at least -5.6%.
- Susanville, CA
- #1 · -22.1%
- -5.6%
- #100 cutoff
- 100
- cities in this ranking
Every figure here is read live from the same U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) data rendered in the table below.
These 100 cities span 25 states. California has the most entries on this list: 27 (27% of the total). California state page.
How we calculate the state breakdown
The state count and leader above are a live tally of this list's own 100 rows, grouped by state. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
Top 12 cities by population change (2020-2025)
Hover or tap a bar for the city, value and rank
- Susanville, CA -22.1
Susanville, California
-22.1 Population Change (2020-2025)
- Town of Pecos, TX -20.1
Town of Pecos, Texas
-20.1 Population Change (2020-2025)
- Cameron, MO -19.5
Cameron, Missouri
-19.5 Population Change (2020-2025)
- McRae-Helena, GA -18
McRae-Helena, Georgia
-18 Population Change (2020-2025)
- Blythe, CA -15.6
Blythe, California
-15.6 Population Change (2020-2025)
- Big Spring, TX -15.2
Big Spring, Texas
-15.2 Population Change (2020-2025)
- California, PA -14
California, Pennsylvania
-14 Population Change (2020-2025)
- Helena-West Helena, AR -13.2
Helena-West Helena, Arkansas
-13.2 Population Change (2020-2025)
- Tallulah, LA -11.8
Tallulah, Louisiana
-11.8 Population Change (2020-2025)
- California City, CA -11.8
California City, California
-11.8 Population Change (2020-2025)
- Forest Hills, TN -10.8
Forest Hills, Tennessee
-10.8 Population Change (2020-2025)
- Cusseta-Chattahoochee County, GA -10.6
Cusseta-Chattahoochee County, Georgia
-10.6 Population Change (2020-2025)
What this shows Susanville, California ranks #1 on population change (2020-2025) among the cities in this ranking; the full top 100 is listed below.
Which states show up most
State tally of this list's own rows
- California (CA)
California
27 Cities on this list
- Louisiana (LA)
Louisiana
12 Cities on this list
- Mississippi (MS) 9
Mississippi
9 Cities on this list
- Texas (TX) 7
Texas
7 Cities on this list
- Arkansas (AR) 7
Arkansas
7 Cities on this list
- Alabama (AL) 4
Alabama
4 Cities on this list
- Missouri (MO) 3
Missouri
3 Cities on this list
- Georgia (GA) 3
Georgia
3 Cities on this list
- Pennsylvania (PA) 3
Pennsylvania
3 Cities on this list
- Kentucky (KY) 3
Kentucky
3 Cities on this list
What this shows California leads with 27 of the 100 spots on this list.
| # | City | Population Change (2020-2025) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SusanvilleCalifornia | -22.1% |
| 2 | Town of PecosTexas | -20.1% |
| 3 | CameronMissouri | -19.5% |
| 4 | McRae-HelenaGeorgia | -18.0% |
| 5 | BlytheCalifornia | -15.6% |
| 6 | Big SpringTexas | -15.2% |
| 7 | CaliforniaPennsylvania | -14.0% |
| 8 | Helena-West HelenaArkansas | -13.2% |
| 9 | TallulahLouisiana | -11.8% |
| 10 | California CityCalifornia | -11.8% |
| 11 | Forest HillsTennessee | -10.8% |
| 12 | Cusseta-Chattahoochee CountyGeorgia | -10.6% |
| 13 | CalipatriaCalifornia | -10.6% |
| 14 | BexleyOhio | -10.5% |
| 15 | GreenvilleMississippi | -10.1% |
| 16 | MalibuCalifornia | -9.9% |
| 17 | SelmaAlabama | -9.8% |
| 18 | ClevelandMississippi | -9.1% |
| 19 | TehachapiCalifornia | -8.9% |
| 20 | StuttgartArkansas | -8.7% |
| 21 | IoniaMichigan | -8.6% |
| 22 | HazardKentucky | -8.6% |
| 23 | GallupNew Mexico | -8.4% |
| 24 | IndianolaMississippi | -8.4% |
| 25 | BlythevilleArkansas | -8.4% |
| 26 | GreenwoodMississippi | -8.3% |
| 27 | Mount PleasantIowa | -8.3% |
| 28 | Crescent CityCalifornia | -8.2% |
| 29 | Holly SpringsMississippi | -7.8% |
| 30 | Highland ParkMichigan | -7.8% |
| 31 | VicksburgMississippi | -7.7% |
| 32 | JacksonMississippi | -7.7% |
| 33 | LeesvilleLouisiana | -7.7% |
| 34 | Crystal CityTexas | -7.6% |
| 35 | Bee CaveTexas | -7.6% |
| 36 | OgdensburgNew York | -7.6% |
| 37 | ClarksdaleMississippi | -7.6% |
| 38 | Twentynine PalmsCalifornia | -7.6% |
| 39 | FlorenceArizona | -7.5% |
| 40 | TuskegeeAlabama | -7.5% |
| 41 | St. LouisMissouri | -7.4% |
| 42 | BastropLouisiana | -7.3% |
| 43 | OsceolaArkansas | -7.2% |
| 44 | LamesaTexas | -7.0% |
| 45 | AspenColorado | -7.0% |
| 46 | DemopolisAlabama | -7.0% |
| 47 | ConnellWashington | -6.8% |
| 48 | PerrytonTexas | -6.8% |
| 49 | River ForestIllinois | -6.8% |
| 50 | NorwichNew York | -6.7% |
| 51 | Pine BluffArkansas | -6.7% |
| 52 | Yazoo CityMississippi | -6.6% |
| 53 | New IberiaLouisiana | -6.6% |
| 54 | SandersvilleGeorgia | -6.6% |
| 55 | Union CityCalifornia | -6.6% |
| 56 | WarrenArkansas | -6.6% |
| 57 | White City metro townshipUtah | -6.5% |
| 58 | FranklinLouisiana | -6.5% |
| 59 | TaftCalifornia | -6.5% |
| 60 | Oak HillWest Virginia | -6.4% |
| 61 | AdaOhio | -6.4% |
| 62 | MindenLouisiana | -6.4% |
| 63 | PleasantonCalifornia | -6.4% |
| 64 | La JuntaColorado | -6.3% |
| 65 | Manhattan BeachCalifornia | -6.3% |
| 66 | MarksvilleLouisiana | -6.2% |
| 67 | WestlakeCalifornia | -6.2% |
| 68 | El DoradoArkansas | -6.2% |
| 69 | RawlinsWyoming | -6.1% |
| 70 | ConnellsvillePennsylvania | -6.1% |
| 71 | CerritosCalifornia | -6.1% |
| 72 | LivingstonTexas | -6.0% |
| 73 | SulphurLouisiana | -6.0% |
| 74 | PikevilleKentucky | -6.0% |
| 75 | MiddlesboroughKentucky | -6.0% |
| 76 | CoronadoCalifornia | -6.0% |
| 77 | GreenvilleAlabama | -6.0% |
| 78 | PortageWisconsin | -5.9% |
| 79 | BrownsvilleTennessee | -5.9% |
| 80 | CaruthersvilleMissouri | -5.9% |
| 81 | San LeandroCalifornia | -5.9% |
| 82 | Rancho Palos VerdesCalifornia | -5.9% |
| 83 | National CityCalifornia | -5.9% |
| 84 | Hermosa BeachCalifornia | -5.9% |
| 85 | WinslowArizona | -5.9% |
| 86 | MeadvillePennsylvania | -5.8% |
| 87 | ShreveportLouisiana | -5.8% |
| 88 | JenningsLouisiana | -5.8% |
| 89 | Redondo BeachCalifornia | -5.8% |
| 90 | LawndaleCalifornia | -5.8% |
| 91 | La Habra HeightsCalifornia | -5.8% |
| 92 | Huntington ParkCalifornia | -5.8% |
| 93 | CapitolaCalifornia | -5.8% |
| 94 | Falcon HeightsMinnesota | -5.7% |
| 95 | PattersonLouisiana | -5.7% |
| 96 | Morgan CityLouisiana | -5.7% |
| 97 | MaywoodCalifornia | -5.7% |
| 98 | HawthorneCalifornia | -5.7% |
| 99 | Diamond BarCalifornia | -5.7% |
| 100 | St. AlbansWest Virginia | -5.6% |
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP), Vintage 2025, 18,101 of the 28,702 U.S. cities in our database are incorporated places PEP tracks annually (63.1% coverage). Applying the 5,000-resident 2020 floor leaves 4,778 eligible places -- of which 1,841 declined between 2020 and 2025, and this page shows the 100 steepest declines. See our methodology for the full data-collection process.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP), Vintage 2025. Verify directly with the source agency: U.S. Census Bureau, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES.
Questions about the cities losing population in the us list
What does this cities losing population in the us ranking measure?
It orders cities by population change (2020-2025) using U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP), Vintage 2025. It is a single-metric comparison, not an overall score for quality of life or a recommendation about where to live.
Are metropolitan areas included?
The rows are individual cities or Census-defined places covered by the named source, not combined metropolitan areas. The page states any extra coverage or population rule that applies to this specific population change (2020-2025) ranking.
Can I download and verify the ranking?
Yes. The CSV above contains the same ranked rows shown in the table. The page names the source and vintage, links to the source agency, and explains category-specific caveats before the data.
What to do with the cities losing population in the us list
Use this ranking to narrow the field, then dig into the specific places you're considering.
- Susanville, CA leads this list at -22.1% -- see its full profile before drawing conclusions from the rank alone. Susanville profile
- Put two specific cities side by side across every tracked metric, not just this one ranking. Compare cities
- See every ranked city in California together, not just how Susanville compares nationally. California state page
Population change is measured using the Census Population Estimates Program (PEP), not the ACS 5-Year estimates used elsewhere on this site -- the two are separate Census programs and are never mixed in one figure. PEP publishes annual estimates only for incorporated cities and towns, not Census-designated places (CDPs); of our 28,702-city database, 18,101 (63.1%) have PEP coverage, and a 2020 population floor of 5,000 leaves 4,778 eligible. Read the small places carefully: 52 of these 100 cities had under 10,000 residents in 2020, and PEP counts group-quarters residents -- people living in correctional facilities, college dormitories and military barracks -- where they live. One institution opening, closing or emptying can therefore move a small town's percentage sharply. This is a measure of counted residents, not a judgment about a place.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.