Census estimates show Baltimore continues to lose population

BALTIMORE (AP) — New annual estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that Baltimore is continuing to shed inhabitants.

Census data released Thursday shows that Maryland's biggest city lost an estimated 7,346 citizens during the 12 months that ended July 1.

That's a loss of 1.2 percent of the city's population. It's the fourth-straight year of population decline for Baltimore.

The overall trend has continued over decades. In 1950, Baltimore was America's sixth-most populous city, with nearly a million residents. It's since shrunk to the country's 30th largest. The new data suggest the city's population is now just over 600,000.

Andrew Fenelon is Associate Director of the Maryland Population Research Center. He says Baltimore has seen a roughly 3 percent population decline since 2015.