The St. Louis region continues to slide down the list of the largest metro areas in the United States. This time, falling from 21st largest to 23rd. With San Antonio and Austin nipping at our heels, it won't be long before St. Louis slips out of the top 25.
The problem is not a new one. In 1950, the city's population was 856,000. In 2024, it's 282,000. St. Louis County's population is lower now than it was in 1990, and the Metro East is in "permanent demographic winter," meaning more people are dying than being born. The region has a higher than average population of Baby Boomers.
Michael Calhoun dug into the KMOX archives to 1997 when the Census Bureau showed the city's population dropped 11% in 6 years. What was the mayor saying then and what is the mayor saying now? Listen:
According to Ness Sandoval, St. Louis University demographer, the city's population loss today is mostly due to Black families moving out. Much of the new construction in the city is apartments, which appeal to singles, not families with children.
Growing metro areas also have a large Latino population, which St. Louis does not have.





