Philly’s Population Still Rising, But Barely

Babies, immigrants fuel city's growth.

The Daily News reports that Philly’s population is still growing — fueled by babies and immigrants — but that the rise is barely staying ahead of the number of people leaving the city:

From the April 2010 census to July 1, 2013, Philadelphia’s population increased by an estimated 27,159 people, which represents a 1.8 percent jump.

But that increase was basically canceled out by the city’s net domestic migration.

The estimates show that about 23,000 more people left the city to move to other parts of the U.S. in those three years compared to people who moved from another county into Philadelphia.

Still, slow growth is better than the alternative. As the DN notes: “Until the 2010 census, the city had lost population in every decade since 1950.”