Major Census Revision for NOLA

SlidellWx · #1 Posted: **Jan 14, 2009, 9:24 PM**

The Census bureau has dramatically revised the 2007 population estimates for 3 parishes in the New Orleans metro area. They were off by nearly 50,000 people in the city itself.

Here is the story...

Quote:

New Orleans, St. Bernard and Jefferson Parish 2007 census figures revised upward
by The Times-Picayune
Wednesday January 14, 2009, 12:24 PM

The U.S. Census Bureau has adjusted the city of New Orleans' 2007 population estimate upward by nearly 50,000, to 288,113, in response to a challenge filed last year by the city, Mayor Ray Nagin's administration announced today.

The population estimates for Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes were also bumped up dramatically.

The New Orleans population estimate for July 1, 2007 will be increased to 288,113 from its original estimate of 239,124, city officials said. The 48,989 increase in population will mean $45.6 million more for education, homeless assistance, child care, elderly assistance, law enforcement and other programs, according to the Nagin administration.

"The increase in population will mean millions more for programs that serve our citizens," said Mayor C. Ray Nagin. "As we continue our recovery from the greatest natural and man made disaster in our country's history, it is important for our community to have access to every dollar our citizens deserve."

Census officials also boosted the estimate of residents living in Jefferson Parish on July 1, 2007, to 440,339, up from 423,520, Census spokesman Tom Edwards said. St. Bernard Parish's estimate also rose from 19,826 to 33,439, he said.

The city challenged the original number in July, using new data analysis from the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. Allison Plyer, deputy director of that organization, used building permit data, electric account data, and USPS data on households receiving mail to identify data not readily available to the Census Bureau. The report to the Census included data from all of those sources.

"We're pleased to have worked with the Census Bureau, combining their expertise with our local data to come up with a population estimate that better reflects the thousands of New Orleanians who have struggled to come home and rebuild," Plyer said.

St. Bernard Parish officials were pleased with the adjustment.

"This adjusted population indicates that St. Bernard is continuing to move out of recovery and into our growth past Katrina,'' St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro said in a news release.

Taffaro said officials estimate a current population of 37,000, more than half the parish's pre-hurricane population.

SlidellWx · #2 Posted: **Jan 15, 2009, 8:57 PM**

Also...these revisions boost the 2007 metro population to 1,109,784 which moves the metro up to 47th largest in the nation between Buffalo, NY and Birmingham, AL.

10101000 · #3 Posted: **Jan 15, 2009, 9:18 PM**

Lol, you crack me up!!!!!!!!!

10101000 · #4 Posted: **Jan 15, 2009, 9:44 PM**

Basically your saying, mine is bigger than yours!

alon504 · #5 Posted: **Jan 22, 2009, 1:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by (Tim)

Basically your saying, mine is bigger than yours!

I don't think Slidell is doing that....many people are tracking the return of New Orleans nationwide from Katrina, and the comparisons make it easier for people to envision. I'll add---this is a snapshot in time (July, 2007) and the area as a whole has added close to another 80,000 since then. Katrina recovery continues and isn't slowing down. It appears that Metro New Orleans will surpass it's pre-Katrina metro population somewhere around 2012 or 2013 and move into growth beyond original 2005 numbers.