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Toronto was the Fastest Growing Metropolitan Area in the United States and Canada for the Second Straight Year in 2024

By: Frank Clayton, Senior Research Fellow

April 22, 2025

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This blog compares population growth in Canada's metropolitan areas in 2024 with those south of the border. Population growth is based on population estimates prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau and Statistics Canada as of July 1, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Growth in the 12 months ending July 1, 2023 and 2024 is referred to as 2023 and 2024, respectively.  For brevity, the full names of several metropolitan areas are shortened in the text.

The figure below identifies the ten most rapidly growing metropolitan areas (in terms of persons) in the United States and Canada in the 12 months ending July 1, 2024, with comparisons to growth in the preceding 12 months ending July 1, 2023.

Bar Chart of the Average Annual Residential Property Tax Paid in Large GTHA Municipalities, 2016 and 2021

Highlights:

  • Toronto was the top growing metropolitan area, outpacing all the others, with an estimated growth of 269,000 persons in 2024, up slightly from 255,000 in the preceding 12 months. Immigration accounted for almost all of this growth.[1]
  • New York City jumped ahead of Houston in 2024 as the second most rapidly growing metropolitan area, with an estimated growth of 213,000 - more than double its 2023 gains. Similar to Toronto,[2] a recent surge in immigration resulted in New York City jumping ahead of Houston and Dallas, both consistently strong in growth over recent years.
  • Including Toronto, Canada had four of the top-growing metropolitan areas in 2024 -  Montreal (132,000), Vancouver (128,999), and Calgary (100,000).

End Notes

[1] Statistics Canada data cites that international migration continues to be the main driver of population growth across Canada in the 12 month period ending July 1, 2024.

[2] Note that the Census Bureau estimate of 2023 population change for metro NYC released last year indicated a decline of 65,549 persons. In 2024, the estimate for the 12 months ending July 1, 2023 shows an increase of 107,027 persons.

References

Statistics Canada (2025). ‘Canada’s Population Estimates: Subprovincial Areas, 2024.’ The Daily. January 16, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250116/dq250116b-eng.htm?utm_source=mstatcan&utm_medium=eml&utm_campaign=statcan-statcan-mstatcan (external link) .

Statistics Canada. Table 17-10-0148-01  Population estimates, July 1, by census metropolitan area and census agglomeration, 2021 boundaries (external link) .

U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024 (CBSA-MET-EST2024-POP). (external link)                                                          

Appendix: Defining Canadian and U.S. Metropolitan Areas

A Canadian Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) consists of one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population center (the core). A CMA must have a population of at least 100,000, of which 50,000 or more must live in the core. The adjacent areas to the urban core are included in the CMA if 50% of the resident population commutes into the core for work and 25% of the jobs are filled by commuters from the core or the municipality directly touches or is partly within the urban core.

A U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes a central county with at least 50% of its population living in an urban core with a population of 50,000 or more. Surrounding counties are included in the MSA if 25% of the resident population commutes into the central county(ies) for work and 25% of the jobs are filled by commuters from the central county(ies).

Because of the varying definitions, U.S. MSAs tend to be larger in geography and population than Canadian CMAs.