Summary: The 2000 Census shows nearly 60,000 grandparents in New Jersey are
taking on a parenting role -- again -- late in life. The Press of
Atlantic City examines not just the numbers, but also the experiences
of one family. The three-part story is about Delores Debman and her baby
grandson, Sidney Dabney III, and how their lives change. Analysis of 2000
Census statistics on grandparents responsible for grandchildren accompanies
the story in sidebars and charts. File#: 19144 Author(s): John Froonjian Year: 2002 Source: The Press of Atlantic City
Summary: The Census 2000 Supplementary Survey shows trends in migration by
immigrants and domestic migrants (newcomers from other parts of the US).
Regions not attracting either group have often experienced a prolonged
economic decline or lack natural or cultural amenities that many migrants
seek. California has the largest number of foreign-born residents, while
Western and Southeastern states tend to attract many domestic migrants.
States in the Midwest, Northeast and parts of the South have few migrants
and tend to have older, less diverse populations. File#: 18993 Author(s): William H. Frey Year: 2002 Source: American Demographics
Summary: Census 2000 data show an increasing divide in geographic
distribution patterns between the Baby Boomer generation and the Young
Adult generation. Most Boomers live in New England and the eastern
seaboard, the upper Midwest, the upper Rocky Mountain west and the Pacific
Northwest. More Young Adults are opting to live in the Sun Belt areas of
the South and most of the West. File#: 18992 Author(s): William H. Frey Year: 2001 Source: American Demographics
Summary: Used at the 2001 annual IRE conference, this Orange County
Register article demonstrates how census data can be used in stories that
aren't specifically "census" stories. These stories take a look at school
overcrowding, gaps in public transportation, attempts to recruit Hispanic
youths for soccer leagues and how to use the land at an abandoned Marine
Corps station. File#: 18018 Author(s):Courtney Perke, Valeria Godines, Jim Hinch, Monica Valencia,
Ronald Campbell Year: 2001 Source: Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Summary: A look at the growth of the Hispanic population in Allentown, Pa.
using 2000 Census data. Local Latino leaders believe the growth in
population numbers was predictable and the reasons behind the increase in
Census numbers was due to increased efforts to reach the Latino
community.The surge in population was also attributed to the open job
market and inexpensive housing. Also examined is how the influx of Latinos
is being felt in traditionally Caucasian and African-American
neighborhoods. File #: 18462 Author(s): Edgar Sandoval & James Wilkerson Year: 2001 Source: Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)
Summary: The Wall Street Journal reports on several issues concerning the
2000 census: the use of census data by marketers to target consumers more
and more specifically, practices used to blur personal data and protect the
identity of individuals when data can be matched to already available
Internet sources, questions changes in the 2000 census, and the possible
replacement of the long-form by yearly testing. File#: 18104 Author(s):Amy Merrick, Glenn R. Simpson, Nicholas Kulish, Will Pinkston Year: 2001 Source: Wall Street Journal (New York)
Summary: The Star-Ledger reports New Jersey demographic statistics from the
2000 census. "It is more populous, less white, and more suburban than it
was a decade ago . . . numbers will be used redraw legislative district
lines." But as diversity in this small state increases, "the state's
historical pattern of black-white housing segregation" has remained the
same. In addition, the articles break down each town to examine ethnic
concentrations around the state and also shows population increases in each
legislative district. File#: 17945 Author(s): Mary Jo Patterson,Robert Gebeloff,Russell Ben-Ali,J. Scott
Orr,David Kinney,Jeff Whelan,Jeffrey C. Mays,Steve Chambers Year: 2001 Source: Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ)
Summary: Census 2000 was a special section in the March 30, 2001 issue of
the Los Angeles Times. The section, which was composed of eight stories and
13 regional maps, analyzes data from the 2000 Census which showed that
Southern California has become more racially mixed. For example, it showed
that "Latinos ascended to dominance in Los Angeles and nonwhites came to
outnumber whites regionwide by more than 3 million." The stories in this
section examine the impact this racial shift will have on California, as
well as looking at Southern California population trends such as blacks
moving to the suburbs and the area's influx of immigrants. File#: 17717 Author(s): Robin Fields,Matea Gold,Peter H. King,Scott Martelle,Phil
Willon,Erin Texeira,Daryl Kelley,Geoffrey Mohan,Peter Y. Hong,Daniel
Yi,Doug Smith Year: 2001 Source: Los Angles Times
Summary: The Daily Record produced a series of stories resulting from the
release of the state-by-state break down of 2000 census data. The 2000 data
showed the population of Morris County, NJ, increased 11.6 percent , faster
then the state's rate of 8.9 percent. The results also show an increase in
minority populations in the county, with Hispanics making up the majority
(58 percent) in Dover and Victory Gardens (51 percent); also the county's
Asian population reached 6.2 percent, compared with the statewide
population of 5.7 percent. The Daily Record's team examines the reasons
behind the county's population rise and how it may mirror a statewide
population shift from the east to the south and west. File#: 17971 Author(s): A Daily Record staff report Year: 2001 Source: Daily Record (Parsippany, N.J.)
Summary: Another follow-up to the release of the state-by-state break down
of Census 2000 data by the staff of the Daily Record reveals that not only
is Morris County becoming more crowded, with 12 percent more houses and
apartments then 1991; the county is also getting older. The Record's
analysis of the data shows that the make-up of the family in the area is
also changing with the number of singles in the county up by 30 percent,
and with it the number of unrelated housemates. Further analysis showed a
shift in the county's ethnic make-up with Asian Indians surpassing Chinese
as the dominant Asian group in the area. File#: 17972 Author(s): Colleen O'Dea Year: 2001 Source: Daily Record (Parsippany, N.J.)
Summary: In a five-day series, the News Tribune explains the trends behind
2000 U.S. Census numbers for the South Puget Sound area and Washington
State. The numbers revealed that "suburban cities in the South Sound were
among the fastest-growing in the state." Reporters explain the effects of
growth in the area and discuss efforts to rein it in through Washington
State's Growth Management Act. Along with growth has come an influx of
immigrants to the state. "Since 1990, the number of Hispanics statewide
more than doubled, to 441,509." Other articles address: redistricting,
Korean-Americans in South Sound, and confusion over the number of American
Indians in the area. File#: 17751 Author(s): Aaron Corvin,Paula Lavigne Sullivan,David Wickert,Sandi
Doughton,Rob Carson,Joseph Turner Year: 2001 Source: News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)
Summary:The Star-Ledger's coverage of Census 2000 finds an increase in
diversity across New Jersey, a growth in the populations of N.J. cities, a
growing divide between blacks and whites, and a decline in nuclear
families. File#: 17906 Author(s): J. Scott Orr, Russell Ben-Ali, David Kinney, Jeff Whelan,
Alexander Lane, Steve Chambers, Robert Gebeloff, Peggy O'Crowley, Rebecca
Goldsmith Year: 2001 Source: Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.)
Summary:The Star, using the 2000 census found that "across the state,
Kansas continued its inexorable shift from rural to urban. In fact in 2000
the five largest and most urban counties combined for half of the state's
2.688 million population for the first time ever." Star reporters examine
the population differences in this state over the last decade and interpret
their effects in areas who have gained or lost citizens. File#: 17745 Author(s): Matt Campbell and Jeffrey Spivak Year: 2001 Source: Star (Kansas City, Mo.)
Summary: USA Today built its own sprawl index and reports on how different
metropolitan areas score on it. According to the index, Nashville is the
nation's most sprawling metropolitan area of 1 million residents or more
with a score of 478. New York scores only 82, and Los Angeles scores a 78.
The index is based on the analysis of census data. A major finding is that
a boom in population does not necessarily trigger sprawl, and that it
occurs when the population in a metropolitan area is shrinking. Another
finding is that availability of water, geography, government and culture
are the most important factors in limiting or allowing sprawl. For example,
"L.A.'s expansion is narrowed by the ocean, mountains and limited water,"
the story reports. File#: 18782 Author(s): Haya El Nasser,Paul Overberg Year: 2001 Source: USA Today (Arlington, Va.)
Summary: In this three-part series, Assad and Ayers take a look at the
once-a-decade task of reapportionment, which involves adjusting federal,
state, and local legislative districts to account for current Census
numbers. What once was a "housekeeping chore for map-drawing bureaucrats is
a bare-knuckled political brawl that not only has Republicans fighting
Democrats, but also allies fighting each other." The Morning Call's
analysis finds that a GOP backed plan would increase the Republican
majority in the U.S. House of Representatives from 222-210 to 227-205. The
series also looks at how Blacks and Latinos are trying to shore up their
numbers and create a minority heavy legislative district. File#: 18461 Author(s): Matt Assad & Chuck Ayers Year: 2001 Source: Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)
Summary: Riverfront Times reports on "police patterns in enforcing drug
laws, particularly in African-American neighborhoods." The story includes
maps showing the ethnicity of the neighborhoods by using US Census data.
The reporter discovers that "police in St. Louis County routinely serve
high-risk drug raids in black neighborhoods, but rarely in white ones."
Another finding is that very few of the targets end up with criminal
charges against them, which challenges the efficacy of the raids. The Times
also sheds light on three killings of unarmed people by police. File#: 18671 Author(s): Bruce Rushton Year: 2001 Source: Riverfront Times (St. Louis)
Summary: In the spring of 2000, Chicago had the lowest rate of return on Census
forms among the nation's ten largest metros. Some blamed the laissez-faire
attitude of the city's census office, which failed to make a push for
returns among residents. By June, the counting rate was notably more rapid,
giving rise to questions about the accuracy of the data collected. In 1990,
Chicago was under-counted, missing many of the neighborhoods where services
are especially crucial." File#: 17944 Author(s): Stephanie Williams. Alysia Tate,Rebecca Guerra,Mario G.
Ortiz,Irasema Salinas,Margaretta Swigert-Gacheru,Rebecca Orbach,Brian J.
Rogal,Molly Dugan Year: 2000 Source: Chicago Reporter
Summary: The report says that migration from cities to suburbs remains
strong throughout the region. The townships closest to cities have added
residents, while older boroughs have held steady in population or lost
residents. The story further tells us why small municipalities in the
counties around Philadelphia have gained at the city's expense. File #: 16977 Author(s): Genevieve Marshall Year: 2000 Source: Morning Call (Allentown, PA)
Summary: Madigan examines census records of the recent voting patterns
of Americans from the 1996 election, finding that individuals who are more
established - educated, married, professional - are more likely to believe
in the system and vote than individuals at the other end of the spectrum. File#: 17002 Author(s): Charles M. Madigan Year: 2000 Source: Chicago Tribune Magazine
Summary: The welfare rolls have fallen by almost half since welfare
reform abolished Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in 1994.
The American Prospect analyzes the Census Bureau's Current Population
Survey (CPS) to determine whether single mothers are better or worse off
than they were before welfare reform. They found that while most women were
better off and many had found jobs, a large majority were not. Also, many
women who had found jobs had a difficult time finding child care. File#: 15909 Author(s): Christopher Jencks,Joseph Swingle Year: 2000 Source: American Prospect
Boise home to some of Idaho's richest, poorest The Idaho Statesman, 9/4/02 http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/census2000/ http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/census2000/story.asp?ID=19479
The richest and nearly the poorest neighborhoods in Idaho can be found within the Boise city limits. The large homes of the Boise foothills represent the area with the highest median income in the state. The runoff from those manicured lawns trickles down to the Boise River, which bounds the opposite end of the income spectrum - the neighborhood that includes downtown and the River Street area. Includes a list of Idaho's richest and poorest cities.
'Stepchild' area fights blight Rocky Mountain News, 9/16/02 http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/census/0,1299,DRMN_429,00.html http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/census/article/0,1299,DRMN_429_1419265,00.html
In the shadows of the grand football palace known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and just west of Interstate 25, lies a sliver of a community called Sun Valley.
It is far and away metro Denver's poorest neighborhood, a stultifying blend of blight, crime and impoverishment.
Every day, about 300,000 cars pass within a stone's throw of the neighborhood. Few in those autos know Sun Valley exists, except as a shortcut to work or cheap parking for Broncos games.
Sun Valley's annual median household income is about $7,500, according to the latest census figures. That's about a fourth of the Denver metro average and an astonishing $10,000 lower than the region's next-poorest neighborhood.
Grandparents' rights under review The Roanoke Times, 8/25/02 http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/census/ http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/news/story135981.html
What makes Ginny Barton different from a foster parent? Nothing, she says, except that foster parents receive government financial support for raising children who are not theirs. Barton, who is raising three of her grandchildren, does receive some assistance, but she said it isn't enough to cover the costs.
Unlike some states, Virginia does not provide money -- called guardian subsidies -- to grandparents who take responsibility for their grandchildren when the parent is unable to do so. Subsidies are one of several changes that grandparent advocates would like to see in Virginia. With first-time data on grandparents released by the Census Bureau this spring -- and with the resulting media coverage -- many are using the attention to ask lawmakers to rethink how to best serve those who unexpectedly become parents again.
Gambling is boosting income for 2 tribes The Arizona Republic, 9/6/02 http://www.arizonarepublic.com/news/articles/0906tribes06.html
The median household income on two of Arizona's smallest Indian communities that operate casinos rose sharply over the past 10 years to exceed $50,000, an indication of legalized gambling's impact on the standard of living of some Native Americans.
The median household income of the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe jumped to $51,000 from about $23,000 in 10 years, and it increased to $50,000 from $18,000 on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, according to a Republic analysis of just-released U.S. census data.
That is about $10,000 higher than the 1999 median household income for Phoenix and higher than the overall median for Mesa, Glendale and Tempe.
Searchlight in dark over census
Figures just don't add up and have Nevada natives shaking their heads Las Vegas Review Journal, 7/29/02 http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2002/Jul-29-Mon-2002/news/19282077.html
SEARCHLIGHT -- No one here, not the local bartender, not the grizzled old miner, not even the Realtor who prides herself on selling her hometown, can call themselves a native Nevadan.
So says their federal government, anyway.
"That's a big bunch of hooey," said Ella Kay, 90, the oldest resident of a town that is home to scores of abandoned mines, two casinos and a busy highway, not to mention the birthplace of a U.S. senator. "We've had a lot of babies born here."
Kay herself doesn't give lie to the statistics from the 2000 Census, which reflect that none of Searchlight's 576 residents -- or is it 768? -- can call Nevada their birthplace.
She was born in Utah.
But a stop by the local bar, the only fast food joint or just about anyplace else in this bump in the road between Las Vegas and Laughlin easily turns up a few natives.
Small towns: A passing way of life Toledo Blade, 5/5/02 http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SRMAIN
(Not SF3, but good example of using census to support a package, not dominate)
An exodus is under way in most small towns across Ohio and the nation. It's happening in West Millgrove, and in Beaverdam and Alexandria and Elgin and Grover Hill, too.
While some small Ohio towns near big cities thrive, those in remote rural areas - particularly in the northwest corner of the state - are home to fewer and fewer residents.
It's not that small towns have changed too much. It's that they really haven't changed at all. When larger cities nearby were opening superstores and new businesses, these small places were trying to maintain their quiet ways.
Census: Asians gaining wealth Minnesota Public Radio, 9/17/02 http://news.mpr.org/features/200103/28_newsroom_census/ http://news.mpr.org/features/200209/17_hughesa_censuswealth/
New data from the U.S. Census show Minnesota's Asian population is economically well-off compared to other minority populations in the state. While the '90s were a prosperous time for Minnesota as a whole, the numbers show many minority groups did not prosper as much as their white neighbors. The new round of figures also pinpoints the number of Somalis in the state for the first time. The figure mirrors other official estimates, but is much lower than what some Somali leaders say.
Smartest city: PhDs, planning, and pet bakeries Christian Science Monitor, 9/18/02 http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0918/p01s05-ussc.html
At first glance, this community just north of Washington, D.C., looks unremarkable. It has all the hallmarks of a happy upper-middle-class enclave. The streets are lined with restaurants, art galleries, and imported sedans. The people are dressed in $50 golf shirts and casual slacks. And there's always a Starbucks nearby.
But according to the federal government, Bethesda is not just another well-to-do suburb. This small suburban enclave is a mecca of brainpower, a nesting place of erudite semi-urbanites. It is, in sum, the smartest place in the United States - or at least the best-educated city boasting 50,000 or more residents.
Michigan among worst in equal pay for women The Detroit News, 9/19/02 http://detnews.com/census/index.htm http://www.detnews.com/2002/census/0209/19/a01-591546.htm
Women in Michigan bring home paychecks far leaner than men's, a statewide income gap that is among the deepest and most stubborn in the nation.
While every state made progress in closing the so-called "gender gap" during the past decade, Michigan's strides were among the slowest. Michigan women who work full time make 67 cents for every dollar earned by men, a figure that budged less than 5 cents in the 1990s, an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau numbers shows. Nationwide, women who worked full time in 1999 earned 73 cents for each dollar men earned.
Florida blacks' median income increased 20 percent, census shows The Miami Herald, 9/16/02 http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/4088731.htm
Median household income for blacks in Florida shot up 20 percent between 1990 and 2000, more than double the rate of increase for Hispanics and white non-Hispanics, U.S. Census data show.
Demographers say a steady influx of U.S.-born blacks from other states, spurred by Florida's diversified economy, may help explain the jump. They also cited Florida's 165,000 Jamaicans, who tend to bring with them high education and entrepreneurial aims.
Census: Minnesota leads nation in Somali residents Star Tribune, 9/18/02 http://www.startribune.com/stories/1507/ http://www.startribune.com/stories/1507/3238538.html
Just a decade ago, Somalis didn't figure into the Minnesota landscape. There were no Somali malls, no Somali restaurants, and there was no camel meat for sale at ethnic food markets.
"When I first came to Minnesota in '92, there were maybe two Somali families here," said Abdi Samatar, a geography professor who had come to teach at the University of Minnesota.
After a one-year absence from the state, Samatar said, he returned in the fall of 1994 to find that the Somali community had grown considerably to about 3,000 residents.
By 2000 their numbers totaled 11,164 in Minnesota, according to census data released this week. Of the 40 states whose data are available, Minnesota has the largest number of Somalis, and most of them -- 8,933 -- live in the Twin Cities metro area.
Suburban students lead private schools charge The Oklahoman, 8/25/02 http://www.newsok.com/?cc_census http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=907717&pic=none&TP=getcc
Denise Clapper lives in one of the state's top school districts.
Norman students' scores on the ACT college entrance exam are second-highest in the state, and scores on other state-mandated tests also are soaring.
But Clapper and her husband are among a growing number of parents living in metro area suburbs who are bypassing the local public schools and enrolling their children in private schools, new Census figures show.
All the larger suburban districts in Oklahoma, Canadian and Cleveland counties saw increases in the percentage of students choosing private schools, according to estimates by The Oklahoman based on census data. The percentage of students in the Oklahoma City School District choosing private school is declining.
Articles in Uplink and The IRE Journal about Census data
The following articles about U.S. Census data were published in recent issues of Uplink or the IRE Journal.
To order back issues, contact the IRE Resource Center at (573) 882-3364.
Prepared success "Advance planning is everything when Census
figures begin to roll in,"
by Colleen O'Dea.
September/October 2001 Uplink
Program study
The Palm Beach Post investigated the history of affirmative action in Palm Beach County, by
Trevor Banstetter.
September/October 2001 Uplink
Race Problem Solutions
by Steve Doig.
Jan/Feb 2001 Uplink. This is a follow-up to the Jan/Feb 2000 Uplink article
by Steve Doig titled Race Tabulations, and it explains several methodologies
for dealing with the increased number of racial categories in the 2000 data
when comparing to older data.
Reapportionment
by Griff Palmer and Steve Doig.
Jan/Feb 2000 Uplink.
Race Tabulations
by Steve Doig.
Jan/Feb 2000 Uplink. (see also Jan/Feb 2001 Uplink article by Steve Doig
titled Race Problem Solutions)
Uplink, NICAR’s newsletter about computer-assisted reporting, is available by subscription for $40 for IRE members and
$60 for non-members. Click here for more information, including
a sample issue and an online subscription form.
