[Hankster]

The Census announced today that the population of Nashville is greater than reported in Census estimates. The new estimate for 2005 Nashville population is up about 30,000 to over 607,000. I've long maintained that Census estimates for the Nashville population were too low. Now the Census agrees as well. Here's the details from an article from the Tennessean.com:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...NEWS05/70118011 (http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070118/NEWS05/70118011)

Thursday, 01/18/07

Nashville’s population greater than estimated, census officials say

By LEE ANN O’NEAL
Staff Writer


Davidson County’s estimated population for 2005 will be revised upward to 607,413 people, a U.S. Census Bureau spokesman said.

That’s up by about 30,000 over the previous estimate of 575,261. Metro planning officials have convinced census officials to adjust the figures.

The changes could affect future funding for housing programs, census spokesman Robert Bernstein said. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development uses the estimates to make decisions about how much money cities receive, Bernstein said.

Metro’s challenge came too late to affect 2006 population estimates, which are due out in a few months, Bernstein said. But they should be factored into the 2007 estimates, which will be released next year.

The process that Metro undertook to adjust the population estimate is fairly common. More than 40 cities’ and counties’ challenges were accepted last year, including Nashville’s, census records show.

[coyotetrickster]

Are Nashville and Davidson Country consolidated?

[Blazer85]

This is exactly why I find the Census to be overall fairly worthless. I've heard the defenses of them time and time again, but there was a similar example of problems down here. One suburb of Birmingham was underestimated by about 50% and was eventually adjusted. Now this with Nashville. 30,000 might not constitute a HUGE percentage when looking at Nashville overall, but it doesn't exactly give one confidence in the accuracy of their numbers. The Census needs an overhaul IMO if they want to be taken seriously. There are serious flaws with the current setup and while Census numbers may have been trivial in the past, they can have major ramifications when it comes to both image as well as federal and state funding, economic development, etc etc.

[BnaBreaker]

This is exactly why I find the Census to be overall fairly worthless. I've heard the defenses of them time and time again, but there was a similar example of problems down here. One suburb of Birmingham was underestimated by about 50% and was eventually adjusted. Now this with Nashville. 30,000 might not constitute a HUGE percentage when looking at Nashville overall, but it doesn't exactly give one confidence in the accuracy of their numbers. The Census needs an overhaul IMO if they want to be taken seriously. There are serious flaws with the current setup and while Census numbers may have been trivial in the past, they can have major ramifications when it comes to both image as well as federal and state funding, economic development, etc etc.

I agree. I mean, regardless of how much of a percentage of the whole 30,000 people is, the fact still stands that 30,000 people is 30,000 people! lol What's the point of counting at all if we're going to be off by such wild margins?

[Hankster]

Are Nashville and Davidson Country consolidated?

Yes. Nashville and Davidson county governments were consolidated way back in 1962.

[Lexy]

This is exactly why I find the Census to be overall fairly worthless. I've heard the defenses of them time and time again, but there was a similar example of problems down here. One suburb of Birmingham was underestimated by about 50% and was eventually adjusted. Now this with Nashville. 30,000 might not constitute a HUGE percentage when looking at Nashville overall, but it doesn't exactly give one confidence in the accuracy of their numbers. The Census needs an overhaul IMO if they want to be taken seriously. There are serious flaws with the current setup and while Census numbers may have been trivial in the past, they can have major ramifications when it comes to both image as well as federal and state funding, economic development, etc etc.

Well it is the US government and what part of it IS in good shape? LOL!! I expect nothing less from the census bureau.

I have maintained for some time that Nashville was larger than the US Census gave us credit for.