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Misleading numbers...
One of the reasons offered when discussing the urgency of a Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Rochester was that "From 1990 to 2000, Rochester was the fastest growing town in Ulster County, growing by 24%, reaching a population of 7,018. From 2000 to 2005, the Town's growth continued at a more moderate pace of 4 percent to 7,306." (Revised Draft of the Comprehensive Plan dated August 22, 2006). Can we really call significant "growth" a population increase of less than 300 people in the last 5 years?!
Recent American Demographics data identyfied the nation's 100 fastest-growing counties. Given the fact that those counties tend to be close to major metro areas, one would expect that a county close to New York City, as Ulster, would make the top 100. Wrong conclusion.
In terms of population gains since 2000, none of the top 10 counties on the 100-fastest growing list is in New York State. Four are in Texas, two in Illinois, four surround Atlanta and a county outside Washington is no. 2 on the list! Three counties near Chicago are on the top-100 list.
States "under the sun" account for most of the growth: California, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Arizona. More than half of the 100 "hot" counties are in these 5 states. If Nevada - the fastest growing state - is added, six Western and Southern states account for two-thirds of the top 100's population growth.
There are 11 counties nationally with a population gain above 100,000 since 2000. The fastest-growing counties since 2000 account for the suburban sprawl in Flager County, Florida; the Washington suburb of Loudoun County, Virginia and counties on the outskirts of Atlanta.
The study also indicates that the "quest for affordable housing" is the engine of the population growth in suburban counties near thriving metro areas.
To summarize, let's check the findings against our town's situation: a sun state we are not; affordable housing is not an attraction point in our town. Why then emphasize so much the growth, the sprawl...?!
In 1870 the population of the town was 4,088. Compared to 7,306 in 2005, the gain is 3,218 people in 135 years, an average increase of 24 people per year.
Manuela Mihailescu — Kerhonkson
manuela@oldbrickhouse.com
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NOTE: The above letter appeared in the Ulster County Press, September 13, 2006, page A7. In the same issue, the article "Population numbers vary for county" by Andrew Hickey shows that "On the whole, Ulster County's population looks to have grown since 2000 by nearly 5,000 people to 182,693 as of July 1, 2005."
So, the 2000 to 2005 growth numbers are: nearly 5,000 for Ulster County, almost 300 for the Town of Rochester.
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