Keaton PetersAmerica’s cities are bouncing back after the pandemic saw migration away from the largest urban areas. Metropolitan areas have added nearly 3.2 million people between 2023 and 2024—a growth rate of 1.1% that slightly outpaces the national average, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data. This population rebound is creating demands for infrastructure investments as cities work to accommodate returning residents and new arrivals.
Approximately 88% of U.S. metro areas gained population between 2023 and 2024, up significantly from just 64% during the height of COVID-19 between 2020 and 2021. This turnaround is particularly evident in major metropolitan centers that initially saw dramatic population declines.
The trend is strongest in the nation’s largest cities, which experienced substantial population losses during the pandemic. The New York City metro area, which lost nearly 277,000 residents in 2020-21, added over 213,000 people between 2023 and 2024. Chicago added approximately 71,000 residents after previous losses exceeding 77,000, while Miami lost 24,000 residents in 2020-21, but has gained 123,000 over the past year.
In California, the recovery has been slower, but is picking up. Los Angeles rebounded from a loss of more than 214,000 people to gain over 41,000. The Bay Area saw about 123,000 people leave during the height of the pandemic, but added 39,000 residents last year.
As cities see the end of a downward trend in population, housing construction and transportation infrastructure are at the center of cities’ priorities. Without adequate places for people to live and expanded mobility options, newfound population growth will ultimately be unsustainable. So far, the largest cities are already investing in continuing the growth trajectory.
New York City has approved a $5 billion initiative that could create up to 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years. The “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” is the largest housing creation plan in recent city history. It arrives as New York grapples with a severe housing shortage, burdened by a rental vacancy rate of just 1.4% and fewer than 1% of apartments listed under $1,500 monthly rent available for new tenants.
New York’s approach combines zoning changes with substantial capital investment, potentially offering a model for other municipalities facing similar hardships. The plan includes eliminating parking mandates, allowing larger affordable housing units, creating “Main Streets” zoning for residential development above commercial space, legalizing accessory dwelling units, updating regulations for converting empty office buildings into housing and enabling transit-oriented development.
In Los Angeles, officials are pushing forward with major transit expansions. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board recently approved a $798 million amendment to complete Los Angeles County’s portion of the final 3.2-mile segment of the Metro A Line from Pomona to Montclair.
Once complete, the Foothill Gold Line extension will extend the Metro A Line 12.3 miles with stations in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair. The project, ongoing since 2003, will provide critical transit connections in a region seeing renewed population growth. Construction is expected to begin in late 2025. Another transit expansion opening in June will bring rail service directly to Los Angeles International Airport.
The Sunbelt continues to see some of the nation’s most dramatic population increases. Texas metro areas remain growth hotspots, with Houston adding over 198,000 residents and Dallas-Fort Worth gaining nearly 178,000—making them the second and third largest-gaining metros nationwide. Austin and San Antonio also made the top 16 cities with largest population gains.
To address transportation demands in Houston, Texas officials have broken ground on a $13 billion highway improvement project. The North Houston Highway Improvement Project will reconstruct Interstate 45 North between downtown and the North Sam Houston Tollway—an ambitious undertaking estimated to take 18 years to complete.
Houston’s current highway network is struggling to handle rapidly increasing traffic volumes projected to grow by 40% through 2040. The project’s first phase will prioritize stormwater management and flood resilience, with the Texas Department of Transportation spending $121 million to complete the initial segment by 2027. Work on the next phase begins in January 2025, with the state investing $695.5 million to build main lanes, frontage roads and enhanced bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
In Florida, Miami-Dade County is advancing a major transit initiative with significant federal support. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently pledged up to $389.5 million in grants for the county’s Northeast Corridor Rapid Transit Project. This funding will help move the $927.3 million project into its engineering design phase.
The project is part of the county’s Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit program, which intends to develop an 85-mile Coastal Link commuter rail line connecting Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The Northeast Corridor project will integrate existing rails and construct five new stops, providing connections to key neighborhoods including Wynwood, the Design District and Little Haiti.
