Baltimore Sees Population Growth For The First Time in a Decade

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For the first time in 10 years, Baltimore saw a population increase.

According to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the city ended a nine-year streak of population decline in 2024. While the gain was pretty small, just 0.1%, it’s still a big deal for a city that’s lost nearly 60,000 people since 2010.

The main reason for the increase was that fewer people moved away from Baltimore. The city saw about half as many people leave in 2024 as it did in 2023. Baltimore’s population now stands at 568,271 which is about 750 more residents than last year.

In 2023, 6,389 people moved out of Baltimore. But in 2024, that number dropped to 3,279. Plus, international immigration helped balance things out with a gain of 3,516 new residents from outside the U.S.

While it’s too early to say if this trend will continue, city leaders are excited about the news.

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“This is real progress, and more people are choosing to make Baltimore home,” said Kamau Marshall, spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Scott. “The city’s growth shows that Baltimore’s comeback is happening.”

The mayor’s team pointed to a drop in homicides, increased investments in education and recreation, and fewer vacant properties as factors helping the population increase.

The population bump is important because it could mean more economic opportunities ahead, said Michael Bader, a sociology professor at Johns Hopkins University.

“When a city starts growing, it usually means the economy is expanding,” Bader said. “It means there are more opportunities, instead of just trying to fix existing problems.”

Bader, who also runs the 21st Century Cities Initiative at JHU, pointed out that there’s a mix of reasons behind population changes. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why some people decided to stay or why new ones moved in. But, according to a 2024 survey, more residents are trusting the government, which could be a positive sign for the future.

City Council President Zeke Cohen is also optimistic about the numbers. “Baltimore is writing the greatest comeback story in American history,” Cohen said. But he added that the city needs to keep working on improving things like city services, the permitting process, and lowering costs for residents.

While the latest data doesn’t break down where the growth is happening, Bader believes that much of the increase is in Southeast Baltimore, where the Hispanic population has been growing for years.

Across the state of Maryland, population growth was mostly driven by international migration. Overall, Maryland’s population increased by 46,158 people in 2024, bringing the total to 6.26 million.

Baltimore, Anne Arundel, and Howard counties all saw moderate growth, with Howard County seeing the biggest increase at 0.7%. Other places, like D.C., Florida, and Texas, had bigger jumps in population.

It’s still early, but Baltimore might just be on the path to a brighter future.

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