1. Toledo, Ohio

Last year, the population of the city of Toldeo decreased by 0.8%. Now, that might not sound like alot. However, when you realize the politicians want their cities to grow, or at least keep decline under 0.2%, you understand why Toledo leads our list of the fastest shrinking cities in the United States. Plus, with the U.S. population growing by 0.5% each year, a city like Toldeo should be booming!

In 2019, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz blamed a lack of investments by the Ohio state government for the population decline. “We continue to lose population compared to the rest of the country, but once again, they have doubled down on their attacks on cities like Toledo and have failed to adequately invest in Ohio’s infrastructure,” he said. The mayor also added that “short-sighted policies like this one have made educated young people Ohio’s number one export.”