Breaking Down the Latest Census Projections That Show Jackson as the Fastest Shrinking City in the U.S.

The most recent U.S. Census projection shows Jackson taking the top spot of the fastest-shrinking city in the country, losing 2.5 percent of its population from July 2021 to 2022. {snip}

“I think, with population projections, it’s always a grain of salt,” said Jamiko Deleveaux, Interim Director for the Center for Population Studies at the University of Mississippi. “Sometimes it’s going to be negative, sometimes it’s going to be positive. But it also doesn’t take into account some of the social and economic factors that are also going to be happening within our communities, specifically Jackson.”

Jamiko Deleveaux says factors like the Dobbs decision that will mean more babies being born in the state and new companies or job opportunities aren’t factored into the projections. But he thinks Mississippi needs to do a better job of telling its story and highlighting opportunities like a lower cost of living.

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