Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

IrrumaboMalum t1_j1t4phr wrote

TL;DR - mostly it is due to deaths outpacing births. It was not really a mass exodus of people form the state.

163

padredan t1_j1umh8u wrote

Pittsburgh feels 20 years younger than it did in the eighties and nineties. Back then it was very much being a young person in an old people’s city. Now as someone getting closer to being one of those old people, it feels like it has completely flipped. The demographic keeps skewing younger and as a result the amenities and lifestyle offerings have moved more toward that market.

57

James19991 t1_j1v6hkb wrote

As someone in my early thirties, I totally agree. 20 years ago, it felt like you rarely saw anyone between the ages of 20 and 40 in this area. Those of us who were born from the late '80s onwards did not leave the area as others did when we became of age.

11

icestormsurfing t1_j1vf20x wrote

I think I was one of about 12 young people who moved here in the 1980s and everyone I met who was from here seemed to hate it here.

3

James19991 t1_j1tcdkh wrote

FWIW, these census estimates in 2019 were claiming Allegheny County lost nearly 10,000 people when in reality, it gained over 27,000, so they've been known to underestimate the actual population in many urban northern areas.

37

HedgeRunner t1_j1tbmn9 wrote

>The state of Pennsylvania lost over 40,000 residents during the year between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022.
>
>Comparatively, the Pittsburgh metro on the western side of the state lost over 17,000 residents in that time frame, a decline of 0.7%.
>
>In 2022, 24 states experienced negative natural change, or natural decrease. Florida had the highest natural decrease at -40,216, followed by Pennsylvania (-23,021) and Ohio (-19,543).

Summary of relevant stats for those too lazy to read.

TL DR, you actually can't draw much conclusion from the text unless you look at detailed Pittsburgh numbers in the dataset.

16

fangboner t1_j1tzpnv wrote

Does this Pittsburgh data set include the roughly 3k population “decrease” due to the closing of the jail?

−4

icestormsurfing t1_j1vf8m7 wrote

I'm pretty sure the jail is still downtown.

1

LostEnroute t1_j1z8xdy wrote

They were probably referring to the state prison SCI in Chateau, but that closed a few years ago so not relevant.

2

FarLeftGoon t1_j1t77u4 wrote

This is crazy I’m from Los Angeles and I’m interested in moving to Pittsburgh. I hate hot weather , been in it my whole life But why are people leaving ?

10

greentea1985 t1_j1t7vi1 wrote

People aren't leaving. It's more due to deaths outpacing births. A lot of portions of PA got hit bad during the economic collapses of the 70s-80s, so there are a lot of places where you have a lot of elderly, some baby boomers, and young people leaving. Pittsburgh reversed the trend, but there is a noticeable absence of Gen X and younger boomers in the region, due to that generation getting pushed out due to the lack of jobs. Steelers nation became a nationwide thing because of how many people left when the steel industry collapsed. Covid nailed the elderly severely and they are just old and dieing naturally.

79

drewbaccaAWD t1_j1tbtrp wrote

It still gets plenty hot/humid here in the summer.. spring is wet, fall is nice, winter is cold. Just fair warning and I say this as someone who lived in San Diego for a couple of years.

If you don't mind the increased rainfall, the thunderstorms are fun.

There's no mass exodus.. I moved back here from Seattle and a pair of friends moved back from San Fran. Another couple of friends moved down to DC for school... there's a healthy flow back and forth. Also had an uncle/aunt and two kids move back from Tahoe, another uncle/aunt and three kids move back from Lake County, CA.. one of those kids married a woman who moved here from San Diego. It's not like there's some net outflow, many people who leave find their way back but at the same time I still have three high school friends from PA living in LA because that's where they found work.

The decline is mostly high deaths and low births; the population here is fairly old overall.

17

IWANNAKNOWWHODUNIT t1_j1usizn wrote

Since you’ve lived in Seattle, how is the gloomy and wet weather like in Pittsburgh compared to Seattle?

3

Nite_Boat t1_j1vakqa wrote

I've spent some time in Seattle and now am in Pittsburgh and I'd say the frequency of gloomy and wet weather is comparable betweent the two cities, with hotter more humid summers in Pittsburgh. Very cloudy here often, in fact i think it *might be the cloudiest city in the U.S. (or in the top 3 IIRC)

3

drewbaccaAWD t1_j1wf2ms wrote

It's gloomy and wet but it's a different sort of gloomy and wet. In Pittsburgh you get downpours and thunderstorms while Seattle is more of an endless haze for months at a time. In Pittsburgh an umbrella is useful while in Seattle it wouldn't make much of a difference.

Another big difference is that Pittsburgh in January will have its fair share of blue skies even if it's cold while in Seattle it's just grey from November until sometime in May. I first moved to Seattle in December and my wife never once saw Mount Rainer until late April or early May because it was always hidden by clouds. The summers, generally May into October, tend to have few clouds and mostly blue skies while the temperature hangs around a moderate 70°-ish for most of that (but with an occasional heat wave). Likewise the winter months tend to stay in the 30° area and rarely dip down low for extended periods.

Overall the total gloom between Pittsburgh and Seattle is similar but it's more sporadic in Pittsburgh and a bit bunched together in Seattle. Plus this is further exaggerated by Seattle being further north so those bright blue summer days last longer and those dark dreary winter days have even less day time light.

3

Edmeyers01 t1_j1we6zr wrote

Moving from San Diego to Pittsburgh! I loved it in Pittsburgh, but I’d do heavy research just in case you don’t love it like we did, but it’s got a lot to offer and is super cheap.

2

LowLetttuce6 t1_j1wkfug wrote

Because it’s cold and gloomy. Winters are long there. That’s why I left at least.

0

Antique-Low3985 t1_j1vh0vh wrote

High taxes, weird laws, and mini empires in every neighborhood? Can’t imagine why

3

BilboBagginkins t1_j1upkgp wrote

We are a senior citizen state that doesnt have enough job creation to attract enough people to the state.

Fracking jobs creation was a republican and energy companies lie. Temps jobs that are all mostly gone as it turns out. It was a long shot, but really needed to land Amazon. Would have liked to have seen a large investment into semiconductors and solar here, but i am not a geologist and have no idea how much high-purity silicone we have in the state? I would assume with the abundance of the mineral overall in the commonwealth that there would be enough to support the industry but then again maybe not. I have read that some have shown interest in the industry but the government thus far has not, at least regarding PA.

2

[deleted] t1_j1t5gho wrote

[deleted]

0

James19991 t1_j1t605i wrote

Allegheny County is nowhere near one of the most elderly in the country anymore given the rapid aging that has occurred in a lot of rural counties in the last 20 years

0

Big_League227 t1_j1uadt2 wrote

I feel bad for all those 🐇 rabbits getting old. 😢 😉

4

trail-coffee t1_j1uftmq wrote

They just don’t hop like they used to, should’ve taken better care of their joints

2

war321321 t1_j1t6rif wrote

Fair, I could’ve said metro area but I figured that was a given considering that rural decline is happening almost everywhere.

Deleted comment anyway

3

James19991 t1_j1tcubb wrote

Yeah, metro I think would be more accurate. Allegheny County doesn't feel as unusually old to me these days as it did when I was a kid 20 years ago. A lot more millennials seem to have stayed compared to members of Gen X who grew up here from my anecdotal evidence.

2

RapidMongrel t1_j1uvj8y wrote

And the traffic doesn't get any better

0

leadfoot9 t1_j1vuunj wrote

Pickup truck drivers expand to fill up the space they're given.

3

TheCoomon t1_j1u1mac wrote

Never forget.

−4

chippersonofYork t1_j1t4lc6 wrote

Well that explains why HQ picked PA to settle Afghan refugees in Pittsburg and surrounding areas. I do enjoy goat milk so I assume it will be easier to find now and at a lower price

−85

IrrumaboMalum t1_j1t4r3d wrote

Blasphemer! You forgot the Sacred H! Shame! Shame! Shame!

10

chippersonofYork t1_j1w6gnz wrote

Why all the down votes ? We should be thankful these beautiful people will be adding to the economy.

−1