Detroit population drops, city may lose funding

According to reports from the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the city of Detroit dropped nearly 25 percent over the past decade, the Detroit News says.

The source reports that Detroit went from being the fourth-largest city in the U.S. to the 18th due to the city's population dropping to 713,777 - reportedly its lowest point in a century. The total number of people who moved away from the city between 2000 and 2010 was 237,493.

In addition to the more obvious logistical impact of the population loss on the city, there is also the potential for a loss in funding from the state. According to the Detroit Free Press, a number of laws were written to provide funding for cities with populations over 750,000. Since Detroit was the only city that actually met that qualification, it was eligible for certain state programs other cities were not.

However, given the population has dropped below the 750,000 person threshold, these funding sources may be in jeopardy.

According to some experts, the decline of the auto industry and other heavy manufacturing fields which were popular in Detroit as a result of the recession may have contributed to the large number of people moving away from the city, due to job loss and other associated effects.  

More News