Toronto edges out Chicago as North America’s 4th largest city
Toronto has edged out Chicago as North America’s fourth largest city. Both cities have just under three million people in their downtown cores.
TORONTO, Canada – Toronto has overtaken Chicago as North America's fourth largest city after a sharp surge in downtown construction.
Toronto's official population is now 2,791,140 while Chicago's is 2,707,120.
Both figures do not include the suburban areas, which push the numbers up dramatically.
In comparison, Mexico city tops the list of North American cities at 8,851,080 people, reported Yahoo News – a figure that reaches almost 30 million if the surrounding areas are counted.
New York has 8,175,133 people and Los Angeles 3,792,621.
CBS Chicago said that the city's population rose briefly in the 1990s but has been falling since the 1950s.
The news channel reported that about 200,000 people left the city from 2000 to 2010, likely for the suburbs.
Toronto, on the other hand, is growing at a rate of about 38,000 people per year.
A building boom has altered the Toronto skyline and has sparked worries about a housing and condominium bubble.
“I think it’s indicative of the fact that something right is happening here, when people are flocking to the city as opposed to other places,” said Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday, reported the Toronto Star.
“You see all the building that’s going on, and people are coming to live in these buildings, so it stands to reason the population would increase."