Milwaukee-Waukesha metro area shrinking

According to the latest Census Bureau data, many major cities in America are shrinking while the suburbs are growing. Only 18 of the top 53 cities in America have growth including San Francisco and New York City.

Although the population of the Milwaukee, West Allis, Waukesha area has not decreased as bad as top spot St. Louis it has declined by 0.7 percent. The current population of the area is 1.6 million.

While Milwaukee is losing residents, another Wisconsin city is growing. Madison, home to University of Wisconsin, is attracting new residents. The dynamics may reflect the countrywide shift away from manufacturing bases in favor of cities that focus on services, such as education and health care.

Here are the 12 major cities shrinking:

12. Pittsburgh (-0.1 percent)
11. Birmingham, Hoover (-0.2 percent)
10. Memphis (-0.3 percent)
9. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (-0.3 percent)
8. Rochester (-0.4 percent)
7. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford (-0.5 percent)
6. Cleveland-Elyria (-0.5 percent)
5. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn (-0.5 percent)
4. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls (-0.6 percent)
3. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis (-0.7 percent)
2. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson (-1.1 percent)
1. St. Louis (-1.1 percent)

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