The U.S. Census Bureau has released new data for Missouri. Click "Read More" for an interactive map through which you can investigate the data, county-by-county.
We've also got our listening area counties and congressional districts broken down, and news stories to put it all in context.
How has your area changed in 10 years?
(Scroll down to see interactive Map)
2010 U.S. Census Breakdown
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay's office released a table of St. Louis neighborhood data, which you can view here.
By Missouri County (2010 population, percent change since 2000)
St. Louis City: 319,294, down approx. 8.3 percent
St. Louis County: 998,954, down approx. 1.7 percent
Franklin: 101,492, up approx. 8.2 percent
Jefferson: 218,733, up approx. 10.4 percent
Lincoln: 52,566, up approx. 34.98 percent
St. Charles: 360,485, up approx. 26.98 percent
Warren: 32, 513, up approx. 32.6 percent
By U.S. Congressional District
(District, Rep., 2010 Pop., Approx. Percent Change 2000-2010)
1st (Clay) - 587,069 (down 5.57 percent)
2nd (Akin) - 706,622 (up 13.66 percent)
3rd (Carnahan) - 625,251 (up .57 percent)
4th (Hartzler) - 679,375 (up 9.28 percent)
5th (Cleaver) - 633,887 (up 1.96 percent)
6th (Graves) - 693,974 (up 11.63 percent)
7th (Long) - 721,754 (up 16.1 percent)
8th (Emerson) - 656,894 (up 5.66 percent)
9th (Luetkemeyer) - 684,101 (up 10.04 percent)
Numbers via Mo. Senate Committee on Redistricting.
Hover your mouse over the map to explore county-by-county data.
And here are more reactions and news stories for you:
Reactions:
From Mayor Francis Slay on his blog, also see his comments in "News Stories" below:
"Census Numbers Require Urgent, Thorough Re-thinking"
"This is absolutely bad news. We had thought, given many of the other positive trends, that fifty years of population losses had finally reversed direction. Instead, by the measure of Census to Census, they continue, though at a slower pace. Combined with the news from St. Louis County, I believe that this will require an urgent and thorough rethinking of how we do almost everything.
If this doesn’t jump-start regional thinking, nothing will."
Mayor's comments added 12:47 p.m. Feb. 24, 2011
From 3rd District Congressman Russ Carnahan on St. Louis on the Air:
Missouri Congressman Russ Carnahan represents the 3rd district, which grew by less than 1 percent since 2000. He says there was enough population growth throughout the entire St. Louis region to keep the three congressional seats.
"I think there are enough civic leaders and frankly political leaders of both parties that see the importance of maintaining that representation for our region and it really is about the region and the voice of our region, whether I'm in Congress for two years or ten years," Carnahan said.
Carnahan's comments added 5:22 p.m. Feb. 24, 2011. Copy by Bill Raack.
News Stories:
From Adam Allington:
Released Census data catches local officials off-guard
The City of St. Louis has shrunk to its lowest size in over 130 years, and Census data released today caught local officials off-guard.
Based on earlier estimates, St. Louis officials were optimistic that the city would reverse a 50-year slide that saw a loss of about 100,000 residents per decade.
They were wrong. St. Louis shed another 29,000 people to end up at 319,000.
Mayor Francis Slay says the loss was not the result of lack of investment.
"I mean you've seen more development, more rehabilitation of older buildings and more people young people moving back to the city then we've seen in a long time-that's a fact," Slay said. "The other fact is though, that was not enough."
The population loss could also have implications on the balance of political power. Missouri is one of ten states losing a congressional seat…which could come at the expense of urban Democrats.
From Adam Allington:
Loss of population could impact balance of Mo. political power
The loss of population for St. Louis City and County could have further implications on the balance of political power in Missouri.
According to 2010 Census data, population losses were greatest in Missouri's 1st Congressional District, represented by Democrat William Lacy Clay.
With Republicans in charge of redrawing congressional maps, UMSL Political Scientist David Robertson says they might take Democratic voters from other areas and add them to Clay's district.
"It would clearly be a solution to that to include the entire city of St. Louis, possibly a good deal of South St. Louis County in that first district," Robertson said.
Robertson says may mean eliminating the 3rd District represented by Democrat Russ Carnahan.
Governor Jay Nixon can veto new electoral maps. Republicans have enough members to override that veto in the Senate, but not the House, meaning any new maps might ultimately be decided by the courts.
St. Louis population down 8 percent
The city of St. Louis lost nearly 29,000 people during the past decade, a decline of about 8 percent of its population.
Census figures obtained Thursday by The Associated Press show St. Louis had a population of a little more than 319,000 in 2010. The Census Bureau was to formally release the figures later Thursday.
The census figures show that the population of St. Louis County also declined by 2 percent during the past decade to a total of just under 1 million people.
- According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2009 population estimate for the City of St. Louis was 356,587. The population total for the city in the 2000 Census was 348,189.
All except bulleted item are from the Associated Press.
Mo. minority population grows at faster pace
Missouri's racial minority population grew at a fast pace during the past decade due largely to an increase in Hispanic residents.
New 2010 U.S. Census Bureau figures obtained Thursday by The Associated Press show that Missouri's Hispanic population increased by 79 percent since 2000, compared to a growth rate of a little over 4 percent for white residents. The Census Bureau was to formally release its figures later Thursday.
Even with that increase, Hispanics comprise just 3.5 percent of Missouri's population, compared with 83 percent for whites.
Blacks remain Missouri's largest racial minority, at 11.6 percent of the total population.
The number of Asian Missourians grew by 59 percent during the past decade, but they still comprise just 1.6 [percent] of the total population.
From the Associated Press, added at 1:41 p.m. Feb. 24, 2011
12 percent of Missouri homes vacant
U.S. Census Bureau figures show that more than 12 percent of Missouri's homes were vacant last year.
The 2010 census figures released Thursday do not provide a reason why housing units were unoccupied. But that may vary by region.
The counties with the highest home vacancies rates all have lakes that are popular vacation spots, suggesting that some of the empty houses may be second homes for people whose primary residence is elsewhere. Camden County, at the Lake of the Ozarks, led the state with a 54 percent home vacancy rate.
The city of St. Louis, which lost population, had a 19 percent home vacancy rate.
St. Charles County, which gained the greatest number of residents, had the lowest home vacancy rate at less than 5 percent.
From the Associated Press, added 5:11 p.m. Feb. 24, 2011
Population grows in southwest Mo.
New U.S. Census Bureau figures show Missouri's population grew the fastest in southwest Missouri and
parts of suburban St. Louis during the past decade.
The 2010 census figures were obtained Thursday by The Associated Press in advance of their formal release by the Census Bureau.
The data show that southwest Missouri's 7th Congressional District grew by about 100,000 people since the 2000 census, followed by a growth of about 85,000 in the 2nd District in suburban St. Louis. The population declined in St. Louis' 1st Congressional District.
The new census data will be used to redraw Missouri's congressional and state legislative districts. Missouri is losing one of its nine seats in Congress because its population grew at a slower pace than the rest of the nation during the past decade.
AP story updated at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 24, 2011 with with congressional district data.
