According to a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau, the impact of remote work on the country’s major commuter hubs has been significant. The analysis conducted by the Bay Area News Group reveals that San Francisco alone witnessed a staggering loss of nearly 210,000 individuals during a typical workday in 2021, compared to 2019.
Similarly, Santa Clara County experienced a decline of nearly 110,000 people. This combined drop of over 300,000 individuals in the “commuter-adjusted population” of the Bay Area’s two largest counties far surpassed the decline seen in Los Angeles, which is a much larger metropolitan area, by almost 100,000.
On the other hand, Alameda and Contra Costa counties observed an increase in their workday populations between 2019 and 2021 as more pre-pandemic commuters opted to work from home.
These figures shed light on the transforming landscape of our major cities, presenting a striking new data point. San Francisco, in particular, has undergone one of the most dramatic transformations in the country.
Prior to the pandemic, the city’s population would swell to over 1.1 million people during work hours, surpassing its resident count by approximately 30%. However, between July 2019 and July 2021, the estimated daytime population of San Francisco experienced an 18% decline. Santa Clara County also saw a 5% decrease in its population during the same period.
