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Census figures affect communities
Published 8:22am Friday, July 3, 2009Changes in population estimates have the ability to either increase or decrease funding for cities and counties. The 2010 census also has the possibility of decreasing Minnesota’s representation in Washington, D.C.
Minnesota currently has eight seats in the House of Representatives and its population now is 1,700 people away from having the seats decrease to seven, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The census also is used locally to determine state legislative districts to school districts to government funding.
Steadily increasing population numbers for the past eight years in Perham are a good thing, according to Perham Administrator Kelcey Klemm.
Every year, the city receives an population estimate from the Minnesota State Demographic Center that is used to calculate how much local government aid the city receives, Klemm said. That aid is used by the city to fund services it offers to its residents.
An increasing population also shows that the city is headed in the right direction, he said. It denotes that the city offers the total package — in the form of a wide array of housing options, a strong job base, parks, golfing, a library, museums and lakes, Klemm said.
Population in Fergus Falls has decreased slightly since 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
However, Fergus Falls Community Development Director Gordon Hydukovick noted that the numbers released Tuesday were better than those estimated by the state demographer. The state demographer estimated a decrease of 158 people, compared to the Census Bureau’s estimated 20.
The population estimated by the state is also higher, Hydukovick noted. The state estimated the population at 13,813 in 2008 while the Census Bureau estimated Fergus Falls to have 13,636 people.
The difference between the two numbers could caused by the way the state and federal governments counted, Hydukovick said, adding that the state counts people living in apartments. Those living in apartment buildings won’t receive a census form from the Census Bureau.
Hydukovick also noted that a cause of the changing numbers is the movement of the population and more people may be moving to homes outside the city limits or in the lakes areas.
Regardless, Hydukovick said he would rather use the state’s estimate.
County Coordinator Larry Krohn said he was unsure of the trends the recent estimate shows. The county’s population has declined for the past three years, according to the Census Bureau.
The year-to-year numbers don’t affect the county a great deal, Krohn said. Important to the county is the 2010 census because some of the county’s funding could be affected by changes in that number, he said.
