Dirty Old Ghost Town
San Francisco has been confirmed as the fastest-shrinking city in the US, where the population declined by 1.5% within one 12-month period last year. SF is shrinking faster than even Flint, Michigan! Having been in both cities, though, I think I can defintiely say that SF still has nicer weather and houses.
The foggy city by the bay, which has lost jobs and income in the technology industry bust, saw the largest population decline of any major city in the United States last year, according to U.S. Census data. San Francisco’s population declined by 1.5 percent or nearly 12,000 between July 2001 and July 2002, making it the biggest loser among 242 U.S. cities with more than 100,000 people … California’s Employment Development Department said San Francisco had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 6.6 percent in May, compared with a national rate of 6.1 percent. The jobless rate in Santa Clara County, encompassing Sunnyvale and much of Silicon Valley, was 8 percent.
Cities along the Bay Area’s borders, including Tracy, Stockton and Lathrop, added residents between July 1, 2001, and July 1, 2002. Some of those new residents have moved from the costlier coast … Of California’s 59 cities with 100,000 or more residents, only San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Daly City, San Jose, Berkeley, Oakland, Santa Clara, Fremont and Hayward experienced population declines.