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The Question: When will Houston overtake Chicago as the third-most populous city?
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Houston and Chicago have been neck-to-neck when it comes to population. Latest census figures may keep that competition going.
Chicago is currently ranked as the third-largest city in the U.S., but Houston has steadily been catching up. So what is keeping Houston from becoming the third most populous city?
The U.S. Census Bureau announced recent population estimates for cities across the country, according to the Chicago Tribune. Chicago’s population is currently on the decline, losing 3,825 residents in 2017. Meanwhile, Houston gained over 8,000 residents.
William Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution said the biggest culprit for Houston’s slowed growth would be Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, which continues to affect Houston’s population today.
Demographers predict that Houston will become the third-largest city in the country within the next 8 to 10 years and is projected to have a population of 2.54 million by 2025, while Chicago will stabilize at 2.5 million.
New York and Los Angeles maintain their positions as the two most populous cities by at least a million more residents than Chicago and Houston.
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