Metro New Orleans' population is changing, and after years of rebuilding since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, has shrunk a little bit.
The Census Bureau's estimate of more than 1.26 million metro New Orleans residents is 94 percent of it's pre-Katrina population of 1.34 million, according to The Data Center.
"In the more recent years, we're seeing some estimated declines in population in Orleans and Jefferson," said Allison Plyer, The Date Center's chief demographer.
Plyer says Orleans and Jefferson parishes combined for a decline from the 2020 decennial census, and the Census Bureau's 2021 estimate.
"Between 2021 and 2020, both those parishes are estimated to have lost about 7,000 people," she said.
Plyer at The Data Center says in addition to the usual losses caused by people moving away, deaths during the pandemic have also bee a statistically significant factor.
Other metro parishes also show slight losses, except for St. Tammany and St. Bernard, which both posted gains.
