Syracuse has slowed its population drain.
Since 2000, the city has lost only 1.5 percent of its population, according to the 2010 Census. That stops a three-decade trend of flight out of Syracuse. And it’s a triumph of public programs to attract and keep residents, say local officials.
“I take pride in that Syracuse is working on programs that are keeping people here,” said Paul Driscoll of the Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development.
At the same time, the latest census shows the population is changing. The population of elderly white residents is staying about the same number. But younger minority populations are growing. And two populations or residents may have been severely undercounted, say demographers who study the census.
Some key Syracuse 2010 census numbers:
- Syracuse has a population of 145,170 people, according to the 2010 Census. That compares to 147,346 in 2000 — a drop of 1.5 percent.
- The rate of population loss is slowing too. Between 1990 and 2000, Syracuse lost over 10 percent of its population: 16,554 residents.
- Syracuse held on to its population better than its neighboring cities. Rochester lost 4.5 percent, and Buffalo dove by 10.7 percent — losing almost enough people to pack the Carrier Dome.
- The racial makeup of the city has changed as well. Syracuse lost 13,344 white residents. Minorities now account for 44 percent of Syracuse’s population, compared to 36 percent a decade ago. The number of minority residents has grown from slightly more than 53,000 to about 63,748 — an increase of about 20 percent since 2000.
The national census is conducted every ten years, as required in the U.S. Constitution. It is designed to survey American residents and compile demographic information about the population. Census information helps determine how much federal funding states and local communities could be eligible for. It is also used to make decisions about community services, such as the location of schools. And it’s used to determine each state’s congressional seats.
On slowing the loss of residents, local officials credit programs to make city living more attractive.
“It’s a pretty funky place to live,” said Driscoll of the development department. Syracuse has introduced programs that encourage people to live downtown. “I think Syracuse was ahead of the curve nationally in terms of recognizing downtown living and development,” said Driscoll.
Driscoll credits three programs that encourage people to live in the city: The Down Payment and Closing Costs Assistance Program, which pays $3,000 of a homebuyer’s down payment when the buyer moves into a house in the city; the Syracuse Area Home Improvement Loan Program, which provides about 60 percent of the loans for Syracuse house renovations; and the Refugee Resettlement Program, which offers services to refugees to find housing and settle into the community.
The city’s changing population to younger minorities, he said, also means new challenges. “Having a vital downtown with people living here will help the more residential neighborhood areas,” said Driscoll. “We’ll continue to do more in terms of residential development and being hip.”
Among the other key findings in the census and their implications:
- The Older Population
Specific census information about age and population changes for New York State is scheduled to be released this May, 2011. But demographers expect the elderly population to remain about the same as the 18,948 number of age 65 and older in the 2000 census.
The elderly population stays at about the same number partly because retirees who leave often return as their health fails. Many people, as their health fails, move back to be near their adult children in the area, say demographers.
And Syracuse offers important healthcare advantages to people who live in and near the city, and Douglas Wolf, an SU demographer. The area’s major regional hospitals, he said, make moving back an even more attractive option.
- The Younger, Minority Population
The change in the racial makeup is vivid at a 20-percent increase, the census shows. And the minority groups tend to be a younger population, SU demographers say.
Christine Himes specializes in the demographics of aging and social gerontology. The large population of older people and growing population of younger people has implications for services that residents will need from the county, she said.
“The different ages will want different services,” said Himes. For example, she said older people need healthcare services and younger people need money towards education.
The younger minority groups, including the increasing refugee population, will likely fill the service jobs necessary to maintain the aging population — such as nursing home jobs, suggested the SU demographers.
The Undercount
The homeless and the Native American population in Onondaga Nation were severely under-represented in the census data, according to demographers and city officials.
The problem of miscounting the homeless population is an issue in all metropolitan areas, according to demographers. The best estimate here comes from the Syracuse Common Council Homeless and Housing Vulnerable Task Force. It estimates that, on average, between 200 and 300 people are homeless in Syracuse and the number can reach up to 500 people on a given night.
Counting the Native American population in Onondaga County is a different kind of problem, say demographers.
Neal Powless is a member of Onondaga Eel clan, and son of Chief Irving Powless Jr. “The numbers are totally wrong, and we’re OK with that,” said Powless. On principle, he said, he and many Native Americans refuse to fill out a census form.
“With the history of how the U.S. government has treated Native American people, why would we trust the U.S. government with sensitive personal information?” said Powless.
Added Powless: “There’s more potential to be hurt out of it than to gain.”
(Leigh Isaacson is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism with a geography minor.)
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