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A record number of people experienced homelessness in 2024. These 10 cities had the highest ratesA record number of people experienced homelessness in 2024. These 10 cities had the highest rates
Nearly every population group saw unprecedented rises in homelessness in 2024.
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Despite a slight decline in 2024, Los Angeles continued to have some of the highest rates of homelessness in the nation.Pexels
A total of 771,480 people in the U.S. experienced homelessness in 2024. That number—representing about 23 of every 10,000 people in the country—is the highest ever recorded, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress.
It wasn’t the only unfortunate record to be broken in the struggle to curb homelessness in the U.S.—nearly every population group saw unprecedented rises in homelessness in 2024, including people in families with children, which saw a 39% increase in homelessness. All told, the number of people experiencing homelessness rose by 18.1%—or 118,376 people—compared with 2023.
HUD credited a number of reasons for the increase in the country’s unhoused population, including a worsening national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, public health crises, natural disasters, effects of systemic racism and a rising number of people immigrating to the U.S.
In 2024, the nation’s 50 largest cities accounted for the largest portion of people experiencing homelessness at 54.2%. Suburban areas made up 23.5%, and rural areas accounted for 16.4% of the unhoused population, according to HUD.
A new survey of 120 cities conducted by the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) and American Institute of Architects found that one third of mayors reported more than 50% of households in their city were cost-burdened by housing, and more than 60% of mayors believe homelessness will “worsen significantly” in their city if Congress does not pass a significant housing bill.
“The message from mayors is clear—the housing crisis is severe, widespread, and worsening,” stated Andrew Ginther, mayor of Columbus, Ohio, and president of USCM. “This crisis touches every single one of us, and it is incredibly personal.”
Among the major cities, available data showed that Chicago recorded the largest year-over-year surge in its unhoused population, which increased 207% from 2023 to 2024. To see which 10 major cities experienced the highest rates of homelessness in 2024, click the gallery above.
