The Southern city that's lost 39,000 residents in four years as locals say people fear crime and are sick of trash on the streets

New Orleans lost 39,000 residents between 2020 and 2024, making it the fastest-shrinking metro area in the United States, according to US Census data. Giovanni Lincoln, a 44-year-old lifelong New Orleans resident, told the Daily Mail that New Orleans hasn't truly been the same since Hurricane Katrina in August 2025. Resident Giovanni Lincoln told Daily Mail that trash is not being collected regularly. Despite its shortcomings, Lincoln told the Daily Mail he loves New Orleans and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Since the hurricane hit the city has struggled to rebuild its populationNew Orleans elected a new mayor last October.